William Wyler’s Ben Hur from 1959 is considered one of the monumental epics par excellence, which is, among other things, due to legendary chariot race at the center of the film lies. In 2016, Hollywood dared to remake the material, but Ben Hur could not escape the shadow of the original.
That’s what the historical spectacle Ben Hur is about
Ben Hur is a historical spectacle against the backdrop of early Christian history. The story focuses on two friends who become enemies. On the one hand we meet Judah Ben-Hur (Jack Huston), who comes from a wealthy Jewish family. On the other hand, the Roman Messala (Toby Kebbell) tries to clear his family’s name.
Due to false accusations made by Messala Ben-Hur is sold into slavery. However, he survives the hard work and becomes a celebrated chariot driver under Sheik Ilderim (Morgan Freeman). He cannot forget Messala’s betrayal.
Paramount Pictures
Jack Huston in Ben Hur
Similarities to the revenge story in Gladiator are not coincidental, as Ridley Scott’s epic was heavily influenced by the previous Ben Hur film adaptations. They are all based on Lew Wallace’s 1880 novel.
Ben Hur didn’t even gross $100 million worldwide
The new interpretation opened in cinemas in August 2016, but was unable to replicate the success of its predecessor. The historical film tanked with critics and also failed at the box office. In fact, Timur Bekmambetov’s Ben Hur only just managed to top the box office grosses of the 1950s film – and that was without taking the inflation rate into account. With only $94 million worldwide The adventure became one of the biggest flops of the 2010s.
Jack Huston’s brief career as a leading man following the success of Boardwalk Empire came to a quick end. Most recently he played supporting roles in films such as The Irishman and House of Gucci.
This is how you can watch Ben Hur
Ben Hur is today, December 18th from 10:15 p.m. on ZDF broadcast. You can also currently stream the film with a subscription to Magenta TV or the MGM Channel on Amazon Prime.
The “original” with Charlton Heston (also a remake of a silent film from 1925) is currently only available online in the purchase and rental version.