Right on the heels of Charlton Heston's death earlier this week, there's news of a television miniseries version of one of Heston's biggest projects: Ben-Hur. They are, however, keeping it in the family with David Wyler, son of the 1959 Ben-Hur director William Wyler, producing.
Though while the miniseries is meant to be a tribute to the elder Wyler and Heston, there will be some updates made to the material:
The new version will be based more specifically on the 1907 Lew Wallace source novel than either the 1959 version or earlier 1925 adaptation.
Wyler is looking to skew the lead role younger into his mid-20s. New version will also likely downplay the religious aspects of the source material.
"We want to look at the spirituality within the piece rather than directly relating it to a specific religion," said Wyler. "It's a very complex story. It’s been 50 years since my father’s version and we think we can bring something new and contemporary to it in the same way that Gladiator did for that genre."
So, who can you see playing this strapping young protagonist of the spiritual-not-religious Ben-Hur miniseries?

















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James Franco.
1James Franco.
2James Franco!!!!
3James Franco...definitely!
4Well, for me Ben Hur IS Charlton Heston and will always be.
5So I think I would prefer somebody who's unknown rather than an already known figure.
Anyways, if it must be somebody who's already known, I think I'd like to see Justin Chambers as Ben Hur ... oh well, he's way older than his mid-20's but still ...
matthew mcconaughey maybe?
6How exactly do they plan to be less religious? I've read the book - the entire story is one man's journey of faith.
Anyway, please please don't put MM in this part. That would be sad.
7Heath Ledger would've been perfect.
Or Joaquin Phoenix.
8No one should play the new Ben-Hur, b/c they shouldn't be remaking this, period. Hollywood has no originality anymore. They should stop w/the remake ideas and come up w/some fresh ideas of their own.
I also agree w/RioAravwyn. Why go the less religious route, when that's what the story is all about? Pretty stupid...
9Thank you linds! Stop remaking this stuff and write something new!
10I would cast Leonardo DiCaprio or Mark Walhberg
11Whiplash, I immediately thought of Heath Ledger...what a shame he can't do it!
12who is james franco? i am so out of the loop.
13why remake this classic?!?
14Daniel Craig...like Charlton Heston he is attractive in a rugged masculine way...or maybe Russel Crowe (although that would be like doing a gladiator type role again).
15Joaquin Phoenix
16Miguel Angel Muñoz the actor from Spain will play Ben-Hur.
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