MGM and Paramount Tap Jack Huston to Play ‘Ben-Hur’

MGM and Paramount Pictures seem to have found the man to take over the reigns of biblical character Judah Ben-Hur in the remake of the 1959 classic.

Sources tell Variety that Jack Huston has been tapped to star in “Ben-Hur” that Timur Bekmambetov (“Wanted”) is directing.

The script was written by Oscar-winning “12 Years a Slave” scribe John Ridley and Keith Clarke, who sold the original spec to MGM.

The film is based on Lew Wallace’s 1880 novel “Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ,” and follows a falsely accused nobleman who survives years of slavery to take vengeance on his best friend who betrayed him.

The pic is set to bow on Feb. 26, 2016.

“Ben-Hur” joins the long list of Hollywood’s recent interest in biblical stories that have either bowed or are set to bow in the next couple of years. Paramount had already seen success from this genre with “Noah,” Darren Aronofsky’s take on the Noah’s Arc story starring Russell Crowe.

That pic grossed $359 million worldwide, including more than $100 million domestically.

Fox and Chernin just wrapped production on their Moses pic “Exodus: Gods and Kings,” which will bow in December and stars Christian Bale. The studio is also developing a King David pic that Ridley Scott is producing.

Huston is best known for his role in HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire” as Richard Harrow and recently signed on to co-star in the adaptation of “Pride Prejudice and Zombies.”

He is repped by UTA. Deadline first reported the news.

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