The stars gathered in Hollywood for the L.A. premiere of the new epic film Ben-Hur on Tuesday evening.
Celebrities including Omarosa Manigault, Terry Crews and Jon Voight joined cast members Jack Huston, Toby Kebbell, Rodrigo Santoro and Ayelet Zurer for a star-studded red carpet. Zurer, Kebbell and producer Sean Daniel were all quick to note that the film is not a remake of William Wyler’s 1959 masterpiece of the same name.
“We wouldn’t think of trying to remake the 1959 ‘Ben-Hur,’” said Daniel. “It’s a re-imagining based on the book. Obviously we’re drawing from the same book, and of course we’re portraying some of the same epic scenes, but I wouldn’t call it a ‘remake.’”
Executive producer Roma Downey also stated that the film isn’t a remake, though she felt the time was right for another adaptation of Lew Wallace’s iconic book.
She further said that when she and Mark Burnett were first approached about remaking the epic drama, the Hollywood power couple did what they always do before making any decision: They prayed for God’s wisdom and blessing.
“I can’t think of any project, big or small, that I’ve ever been involved in, that didn’t bring with it just a lot prayer,” Downey said during a sit-down interview in Beverly Hills, CA.
“We decided that as bold as it was, we were up for the challenge. Remember, we boldly took on The Bibleseries, and we’re interested in stories that illuminate the darkness. Ben Hur does that, it’s filled with light…We’re believers, so we understand just how powerful prayer can be, and when two or more are gathered in His name, extraordinary things can happen.”
Written by Keith Clarke and John Ridley, who won an Oscar for 12 Years a Slave, Ben-Hur tells the riveting tale of Judah Ben-Hur (Jack Huston), a Jewish prince who was falsely accused of treason by his adopted brother Messala (Toby Kebbell) in Jerusalem during the time of Jesus Christ (Rodrigo Santoro). Like the 1959 version, Ben-Hur is packed with action and adventure, but in the remake, the themes of forgiveness, grace, and reconciliation are front and center – making it all the more relevant today.
The couple, who together have produced five faith films The Bible, Son of God, A.D. The Bible Continues, Dovekeepers, and now Ben-Hur, revealed that the words of 1st Timothy 6:12 guided them throughout the filmmaking process: “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”
“How can you get the message of Jesus and Christianity to reach more people? Entertainment is an enormous opportunity,” explained Burnett. “Look at Touched By an Angel – ten years, almost 300 episodes, twenty million people a week hearing the message that “God loves you”. The Bible series, a hundred, a million viewers. People couldn’t believe it – they said, ‘Who’s gonna watch the Bible on primetime TV?’ And now Ben-Hur. Here is an action, epic adventure. Yes, it’s very entertaining, it’s a huge movie. And it should be. But woven through it is the story of Jesus. And the story of why revenge does not work. And what a great way – the convergence of faith and entertainment can be really powerful.”
Ben-Hur also stars Morgan Freeman, Nazanin Boniadi, and Pilou Asbæk. It hits theaters August 19th.
Watch trailer:
