Jack Huston's Judah Ben-Hur seeks revenge on his adopted brother Messala for betraying his family through a chariot race under the guidance of Morgan Freeman's Ilderim.
- Mar 17, 2016
AceShowbiz - Following the release of its first official photos, "Ben-Hur" is previewed in a trailer. The video offers a glimpse of the titular character's (Jack Huston) life before he's betrayed by his adopted brother Messala (Toby Kebbell), sent into slavery and separated from his family.
After he is freed when his slave ship is attacked, Judah Ben-Hur returns to Jerusalem to avenge the deaths of his mother and sister. Under the guidance of Morgan Freeman's Ilderim, a wise sheik, Ben-Hur challenges his brother in a chariot race.
"If you're brother is the pride of Rome, defeat him and you'll defeat an empire," Ilderim explains. "Then you will have your vengeance." He also advises Ben-Hur, "Remember - first to finish," and Ben-Hur adds, "Last to die."
The movie directed by Timur Bekmambetov is an adaptation of 1880's biblical novel "Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ" by Lew Wallace, which was already turned into a 1959 movie starring Charlton Heston as the title character.
Purists who consider the original film is sacred are clearly not impressed with the reboot. Shortly after the trailer hit the web, they criticized the upcoming movie. "The chariot scene in the original is epic. No way that can be duplicated," wrote one user named Cindy. Another named Lee Perry added, "Ben Hur remake .... is nothing sacred?"
The historical drama will open in theaters across the nation on August 12.
