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Ben-Hur (2016 film)

January 07, 2023

Ben-Hur is a 2016 epic historical drama film directed by Timur Bekmambetov and written by Keith Clarke and John Ridley. It is the fifth film adaptation of the 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ by Lew Wallace following the 1907 silent short film, the 1925 silent film, the Academy Award-winning 1959 film and the 2003 animated film; it is the third version produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It has been termed a "re-adaptation", "reimagining", and "new interpretation" of the novel, and follows Judah Ben-Hur, a young prince who is falsely accused by his step-brother, an officer of the Roman army, and is sent to slavery, only to escape and seek vengeance.[4][5] The film stars Jack Huston as the titular character, alongside Toby Kebbell, Rodrigo Santoro, Nazanin Boniadi, Ayelet Zurer, and Morgan Freeman. Principal photography began on February 2, 2015, in Matera, Italy and lasted about five months, finishing in June 2015.

Ben-Hur
Theatrical release poster
Directed byTimur Bekmambetov
Screenplay by
Based onBen-Hur: A Tale of the Christ
by Lew Wallace
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyOliver Wood
Edited byDody Dorn
Music byMarco Beltrami
Production
companies
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release dates
  • August 9, 2016 (2016-08-09) (Mexico City)
  • August 19, 2016 (2016-08-19) (United States)
Running time
125 minutes
Countries
  • United States
  • Italy[1]
LanguageEnglish
Budget$100 million[2]
Box office$94.1 million[3]

Ben-Hur premiered on August 9, 2016, in Mexico City and was theatrically released by Paramount Pictures on August 19, 2016, in the United States in 2D, 3D, RealD 3D, Digital 3D, and IMAX 3D.[6] It received generally negative reviews and was a box office failure, grossing $94 million worldwide against its $100 million production budget plus a large amount spent on marketing and distribution.[7][8]

Plot

Jewish prince Judah Ben-Hur and his adopted Roman brother Messala are best friends despite their different origins. After Judah's mother resists Messala's interest in her daughter Tirzah, Messala enlists in the Roman army and achieves glory. Ben-Hur eventually marries his slave Esther after Messala leaves. Three years later, Messala returns as a decorated Roman officer. His return coincides with a rising insurrection by the Zealots, Jews opposed to Roman rule. Ben-Hur begrudgingly treats and shelters a young Zealot named Dismas and attempts to dissuade him from the cause. Messala reunites with Ben-Hur and attempts to convince him to serve as an informant - the new governor Pontius Pilate is coming to Jerusalem and Messala does not want any revolt. Judah claims he will talk to the locals.

During Pilate's march, Dismas attempts to assassinate Pilate from Judah's balcony. The Romans storm Ben-Hur's household and arrest him and his family. Rather than betray Dismas, Ben-Hur takes responsibility for the assassination attempt and his mother and sister are sentenced to crucifixion. While being led to the prison galley, Ben-Hur encounters Jesus, who gives him water. Ben-Hur then endures five years of slavery as a rower aboard a Roman prison galley. During a battle against Greek rebels in the Ionian Sea, Ben-Hur's galley is boarded, collides with another ship and is destroyed. Ben-Hur manages to free himself and floats on a ship mast. He is washed ashore and found by Sheik Ilderim, who recognizes him as an escaped slave. Ben-Hur manages to convince Ilderim not to hand him over to the Romans by treating one of Ilderim's racing horses. After Ben-Hur develops a bond with the four racing horses, a grateful Ilderim then trains Ben-Hur to be a chariot racer.

Ben-Hur and Ilderim travel to Jerusalem to take part in a chariot race. Jesus' preaching ministry draws the attention of governor Pilate and Messala, who is now the commander of the Roman garrison and a champion chariot racer. While visiting Jerusalem, Ben-Hur encounters Esther, who has become a follower of Jesus and is involved in charity work. Esther tells Ben-Hur that his mother and sister are dead, and despite their reunion, the two are kept emotionally apart due to her new cause, which is contrary to his insistence on seeking revenge against Messala.

Ben-Hur confronts Messala alone in their former home but is forced to flee when Roman soldiers turn up. After the Romans execute twenty Jews in reprisal, Esther completely falls out with Ben-Hur. Just before the race, Ben-Hur encounters a former Roman soldier named Druses, who informs him that his mother Naomi and sister Tirzah are still alive. However, their reunion is soured when Ben-Hur discovers his mother and sister have leprosy, and Ben-Hur is enraged at their condition.

Ilderim convinces Pilate to allow Ben-Hur to compete by proposing a high wager against Messala. Esther tries to convince Messala not to race Ben-Hur, but he is adamant that he will win. On the day of the race, Ben-Hur follows Ilderim's instructions to hold back from the race until the final laps. Using dirty tactics, Messala manages to knock out the other charioteers. After Messala attempts to destroy Ben-Hur's chariot, their chariots become stuck. When Messala tries to kick Ben-Hur from his chariot, his chariot breaks loose and he is trampled. Judah wins, the Jewish spectators begin attacking the Romans and Judah is carried away.

Despite his victory, Ben-Hur is despondent about his family and Messala's fate. Esther is with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane; later she and Ben-Hur witness Jesus bearing the cross. Mirroring his first encounter with Jesus, Ben-Hur tries to offer Jesus water but is beaten by a Roman soldier. Esther and Judah witness Jesus' death on the cross, Naomi and Tirzah are miraculously healed and Ilderim pays a ransom to set them free. Ben-Hur seeks out an injured Messala who initially swears to continue hunting Judah. After experiencing Judah's kindness and forgiveness, Messala relents and they reconcile. Judah and Messala return to his family who all leave Jerusalem with Ilderim.

Cast

 
 
 
Top to bottom: Jack Huston, Toby Kebbell, and Morgan Freeman star in the film as, respectively, Judah Ben-Hur, Messala, and Sheik Ilderim.
A Jewish prince in Roman-occupied Jerusalem who is betrayed and falsely accused of treason, and is sentenced to a life of slavery. Ben-Hur loses everything and spends five years in the galley of a Roman slave ship. He later takes on the Roman Empire and his adoptive brother, in a grand chariot race, while finding redemption and being forever changed after a series of encounters with Jesus Christ.[9][10][11] Charlton Heston's daughter-in-law is a friend of Huston's family, and he met Charlton a few times before he died. "I remember being very struck by the film when I was younger," Huston has said. The leper scene, especially, stuck in his mind. He re-watched the 1959 film prepping for this version.[12][13] He was initially offered the role of Messala, but director Bekmambetov decided instead he had the sympathetic manner and grit to play the title role.[14] Bekmambetov found Huston to be an actor who not only was a "well-built, experienced horseman" but one who "felt like he was born in that era." He said, "I wouldn't be surprised if some of Jack's many famous ancestors took part in an actual fight between Romans and Judaeans we depict in our film."[9] Tom Hiddleston was originally considered for the role.[15]
Huston was well aware of the comparisons being made between him and Heston, saying: "Of course there are going to be haters, that's par for the course when you're retelling such an infamous tale. It's like Kenneth Branagh going to do Romeo and Juliet again for, like, the 50th time. [But] I think one of the greatest compliments one could ever be giving to [author] Lew Wallace is that we're still reimagining his work more than 120 years later, because it's so powerful."[16]
An officer in the Roman army, and Ben-Hur's childhood friend and adoptive brother, who betrays him.[9][10][17]
A wealthy Nubian sheik who trains Ben-Hur to become a charioteer to take revenge on his brother, Messala.[10] Unlike Wyler's version, who was a secondary character, and an essentially comic one, there is no humor in this version. Moreover, Ilderim "has quite a bit of power in the story. And I like playing power. It's something about my own personal ego", Freeman said.[18] Freeman is part of the international cast in the film. Producer Daniel spoke about that, saying: "the movie business was never as global as it is today, so it makes sense from a creative and commercial point of view to do this movie for the whole world."[12]
A Jewish slave and the wife of Ben-Hur.[10][19] Boniadi was very pleased by the fact that the women's roles in the film were expanded, unlike the previous versions. She described her character as "very strong-willed and independent", which to her was very refreshing, given the era that this film is set in. She added, "compared to the 1959 film, Esther definitely has more of a presence, she's definitely a stronger woman and a stronger character".[12][20][21]
Unlike the original film, Christ has a prominent role in this version.[11][22][23] Paramount Pictures' vice chairman Rob Moore stated that Christ in this version "is going to be consistent with people's expectations," and that the "expectations of the faithful will be honored by this one." This was because Paramount wants to avoid the sort of backlash received by Darren Aronofsky's Noah, because some Christians were dismayed by the film's inventive interpretation of the Bible.[5][24] Santoro said it was the most challenging role he had ever taken on.[18] He received personal blessings from Pope Francis for his role as Christ.[25][26]
Ben-Hur's sister.[10][27]
Ben-Hur's mother.[10][28]
A loyal Jewish servant to Ithamar, Judah's birth father; becomes a wealthy merchant in Antioch.
A teenage Jewish zealot whose family has been murdered by the Romans and is desperate to fight for his people's freedom; he is later crucified beside Jesus.[10][29][30]
The Roman governor of Judea who oversees the chariot race.[10][31]
A Roman captain who is involved with the betrayal by Messala that sends Ben-Hur on his path to redemption.[32]

Production

Development

 
Timur Bekmambetov directed the film.

In 2013, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquired Keith R. Clarke's script, an adaptation of Lew Wallace's 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, which is in the public domain.[34]

In April 2014, Paramount Pictures and MGM announced that they would co-produce a new version of Ben-Hur, based on the novel, with Mark Burnett and Roma Downey serving as producer and executive producer, respectively.[35] MGM had previously released two films based on the book, the 1925 silent film and the more famous 1959 film of same name. The rights to the latter film were sold to Ted Turner in the 1980s.[35] MGM had just emerged from bankruptcy due to the global success of the twenty-third James Bond film, Skyfall, and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, which both went to gross over $1 billion at the box office worldwide, including above $300 million in the United States and Canada, while Paramount were doing well at the time with the biblical tale Noah.[35][36] John Ridley (12 Years a Slave) was hired to revise the script, with Sean Daniel, Burnett and Joni Levin attached to produce, and Downey, Clarke, and Jason Brown executive producing.[34][35] Duncan Henderson was later attached to produce, with John Ridley also executive producing.[10] It was announced that the new film would differ from the 1959 version, and deal with the formative relationships of Ben-Hur and Messala growing up as best friends, before the Roman Empire took control of Jerusalem, and that Christ would have a prominent role.[35]

This movie is about the Roman Empire, how seductive and glamorous and dangerous its ideas are—it's about power and competition. And we live in this world. We live in the Roman Empire today—and this movie is trying to find a way how we can survive today. It's not a movie about Jesus' time, it's a movie about us.

—Director Timur Bekmambetov explaining the version of the film.[13]

In September 2013, Timur Bekmambetov was hired to direct the film.[37] Bekmambetov was initially reluctant to direct and did not wish to tackle a film whose predecessor had so much impact. After producer Sean Daniel persuaded him to read the script, he accepted it,[38] saying "I read the script. And suddenly I understood this story is not what I expected. It's not a remake, it's an interpretation of the famous book."[13] He stated the story of Ben-Hur reminded him of Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and Anton Chekhov's work.[39] He was fascinated by the 1959 film but found the focus on revenge rather than forgiveness to be the main problem; this was the prime difference between the book and the 1959 movie: the book was written about forgiveness, and the movie was about revenge and miracles. Hence, he wanted to stress the themes of forgiveness and love rather than mere vengeance. He found "the most important values of pride, rivalry, power, strength, the dictatorship of power and self-love" that were prominent in the Roman Empire to be the primary subjects in this version.[40][39] He said that the film is not just the story of Ben-Hur, but rather the shared story of him and his brother, Messala.[4] Bekmambetov was aware of the comparisons being made with the earlier classical adapted films, and hence felt the need to make the film very different from the others. As a result, he decided to make a realistic drama film rather than a large tent-pole attraction.[4] The director did not set out to make a more stylized version of the past, as he did with Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter; he wanted to make a film that was more grounded and tangible.[41]

Producer Mark Burnett stated that films like Ben-Hur, which are centered on faith and the messages of Jesus Christ, need to feel like epic summer blockbusters in order to attract younger and secular audiences. He explained that part of what caused the immensity of the budget—$100 million—are the special effects and the 3D experience that young audiences are expecting. MGM financed 80% of the production costs, while the remaining 20% were covered by Paramount.[42]

In June 2015, Rob Moore, the vice chairman of Paramount, explained that this version is not so much a remake of the 1959 film, but a new interpretation of the Lew Wallace novel on which both are based.[5]

It's going to be different in the sense that the original writer Keith Clarke wrote an amazing script and then went back to the Lew Wallace novel and really excavated the relationship between the two main characters, Ben-Hur and Messala. It's interesting to a degree. It's kind of like going after Jimi Hendrix, because there are things about the 1959 movie that we think we remember, there are things that really happened, including obviously the chariot race, so it's going to be different in the sense that we're not really trying to completely chase the movie people remember but there are elements of that movie: the heart of the film, the emotional drive of the film that we want to try to bring to a whole new audience. I think it's an interesting project. It’s certainly challenging. It's certainly one that people are going to come into with expectations, but like anything you do, you gotta exceed those expectations to a degree and also not worry about them because at its core, we hope and believe that we’ve got something that’s unique.

—John Ridley.[43]

John Ridley re-wrote the script based on an original screenplay by Keith Clarke, which itself was based on Lew Wallace's 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ.[44] Ridley admired how Clarke went back to the source material and focused his attention on the subjects of racial slavery and colonization, and the deep relationships between the two friends. He was more drawn to the project since it dealt with themes of faith in a very "potent manner".[44][45] The studio approached him in October 2013, after he wrote the screenplay for 12 Years a Slave, which went on to win an Oscar the following year.[46] The studio wanted him to make "a production polish that deals with just honing the story and making it filmable."[44]

Tom Hiddleston was originally considered for the title role, Judah Ben-Hur.[47] Jack Huston was later cast instead.[48] On September 11, Morgan Freeman was added to the cast to play Sheik Ilderim, the man who teaches Ben-Hur to become a champion chariot racer.[49] On September 18, sources confirmed that Toby Kebbell was in early talks to play the villain, Messala.[50] On October 15, Gal Gadot was in talks to join the film as Esther, the slave with whom Ben-Hur is in love.[51] Pedro Pascal from the TV series Game of Thrones was in talks to play Pontius Pilate.[52] On October 30, TheWrap confirmed that Gadot's negotiations with Paramount and MGM had ended, and the actress had withdrawn, reportedly due to scheduling conflicts with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.[53] On November 4, Marwan Kenzari was added to the cast as Druses, a Roman captain.[54] On November 11, Ayelet Zurer was in final negotiations to play Naomi, Judah Ben-Hur's mother[28] (Miriam in the book and the 1959 adaptation). On 13 November, Olivia Cooke was being considered for Tirzah, Ben-Hur's sister.[55] On December 2, Nazanin Boniadi was confirmed as the actress who would play Esther.[19] On January 12, 2015, Sofia Black-D'Elia was cast as Ben-Hur's sister, Tirzah.[27] On January 13, Rodrigo Santoro was announced as Jesus.[22] On January 20, Moisés Arias was added to the cast to play Gestas, a teenage Jewish zealot who is desperate to fight for freedom, after his family has been murdered by the Romans.[29] On January 21, Pilou Asbæk was cast as Pontius Pilate, replacing Pascal for the role.[31]

Principal photography

On February 2, 2015, MGM and Paramount Pictures announced that principal photography had begun and that, like the original film, filming would take place mostly in Italy, specifically in Rome and Matera.[10] The Sassi di Matera in Basilicata and the Cinecittà studios in Rome were also chosen among the film's settings.[56][57] In most instances, CGI were used extensively. However, Bekmambetov wanted to rely more on practical effects and tried to do as little CGI as possible in moments where it was not heavily needed.[41][58]

Producers Roma Downey and Mark Burnett chose Matera as a location for Jerusalem, one of the same locations where Mel Gibson's biblical movie The Passion of the Christ was filmed.[11] Exterior shooting lasted for two months, and finished in early April 2015.[59] Production then moved to Cinecittà Studios, where interior shooting took place for four months, including the chariot scene, among others.[60][61] Around 2,000 extras were used throughout the film.[62]

 
Painted Canyon in Billings County, North Dakota, served as one of the filming locations for Ben-Hur.

In March 2016, Adam Sidman, an associate of Timur Bekmambetov, sent a request to the Bureau of Land Management's South Coast in Palm Springs, which oversees federal land in the Coachella Valley area, asking if the team can shoot a horse scene in the Painted Canyon, which is off Box Canyon Road, with two horses, several cameras, and a film crew of about 30. His application was rejected, and Sidman thought it was because of the size of the production. He then tried to negotiate again, but to no avail.[63] He then contacted the executive director of the Greater Palm Springs Film Alliance office, Levi Vincent, to look into the matter. To Vincent, it almost seemed like the rejection was based on arbitrary reasons. With the help of local lawmakers, they were able to convinced the BLM to approve the request, but this time with a much-scaled down production of 8 crew members, no horses, and the use of a drone rather than handheld cameras.[63]

Chariot race sequence

 
The chariot race was originally planned to be filmed at the Circus Maximus arena in Rome, but access was denied due to fear that the stunts would damage the historic site.[64]

The famous chariot race sequence, which runs about 10 minutes, almost exactly the same as in the prior films,[65] was originally planned to be filmed in the Circus Maximus arena in Rome; however, producers were denied access by Italy's national cultural authorities due to fears that the stunts would damage the fragile historic site, which was under restoration at that time.[64][66] The filming location had been approved by local officials, as well as Rome's mayor, Ignazio Marino, who lamented the decision to deny the producers access, saying, "The aim of the city administration isn't so much to raise revenue in exchange for the use of public space, but to give back to Rome the role of being a big international set, which is in our history and our tradition."[64] According to sources obtained by The Guardian, the decision to forbid Ben-Hur from filming there was due to "technical" issues.[64] Though no official reasons had been given, archaeological experts speculated that the influx of heavy filming vehicles and hundreds of extras to the arena could have caused untold damage to the site.[67][68] However, the Italian cultural minister, Dario Franceschini, declined to comment.[64] As a result, producers were forced to film the scene at Cinecittà Studios, where much of the 1959 film was also shot.[64] It is not clear whether the filmmakers had planned to use that location for the main chariot race, which is supposed to take place in Antioch, or if they were planning to shoot one of the earlier races that Judah Ben-Hur takes part in while he is still living in Rome.[59] Bekmambetov, however, cited the size of the stadium as too large for shooting as the reason.[12]

The whole race was planned in advance, in several iterations of storyboards and animated previsualization videos.[65] In order to re-create the sequence, producers and horse race track experts built a 1,000-foot-long arena, with a 250 metre long and 50 metre wide track, stands, and gates, called Circus Tiberius, at Cinecittà World, a film-themed amusement park about 45 minutes south of Rome. It was built partly on the back lot of producer Dino De Laurentiis's former studio complex. According to production designer Naomi Shohan, arena designs were compiled from archaeological records of circuses in Roman territories. One-sixth of the arena was physically built and the rest was added to the film by computer graphics. Unique chariots were also built based on original references.[13][65][69] A total of 86 horses were supplied by horse master Steve Dent, with back-up animals, and were trained for several months, to be able to race at 40 miles per hour.[41][65][69] Dent has assembled larger stables for films like Ridley Scott's Robin Hood (2010), but said that "this was more of a worry job."[65] There were 60 handlers for the horses, and 12 horses were put in rotation for every four horse-drawn carriage, so the animals would have a chance to rest.[70] Multiple chariots were made for each character—some with brakes (though the horses are strong enough to overpower the brakes), some with room for a second "blind driver" or 'bonnet-fitted' camera, some with different-sized wheels for filming on the turns instead of the straights, and some to flip over or crash.[13] Massimo Pauletto, an art director on the film who built the chariots, said that his team had to reinvent a forgotten skill, "from the sketches, nobody was understanding how they could become real," and the toughest part was to fit together practical needs and special-effects needs.[13] Problems cropped up day-by-day as the bolts that held the chariots together kept being broken by the horses due to their immense strength, and the bar that attached the horses was bent. As a result, the crew had to learn how to build a new one week after week.[citation needed]

To capture the thunderous feel of the race, the film crew attached microphones to the horses to record the sound of pounding hooves, and GoPro cameras were buried in the sand.[70] The cameras were also planted on chariots and people, one of which was placed on a soccer ball in the middle of the track while the horses ran over it.[65] Huston and Kebbell spent two and a half months preparing and rehearsing to learn how to drive chariot races in Italy,[9] six days a week.[58] It took time for the stuntmen to learn to drive them, and they were only called in for extremely dangerous stunts. But overall, it was actors in the chariots.[41][65] A total of 20 chariots were used.[69] A bulk of scenes were done using real practical stunts, without any CGI assistance, and digital models were only used when filming was too dangerous.[41][71] Around 400 extras were used as spectators (which were then increased to around 100,000 with special effects).[12] Bekmambetov's goal was to shoot these action scenes so realistically that the audience feels that they are inside the chariot and driving it.[72] He was inspired by YouTube videos and Instagram photos, "The camerawork is very specific when we see NASCAR or motorbike racing on YouTube. It's either long-lens [close-up] cameras, very professional, or it's iPhone cameras from people in the crowd, cars passing by at the speed of light and they barely have a chance to pan and catch something."[65]

Phil Neilson, who served as the stunt coordinator for the film, had previously worked on many films, including Ridley Scott's Gladiator.[41] Jonathan Stamp, a historian who had consulted on the HBO/BBC series Rome, advised on the film's chariot design. He noted that the chariots in the 1959 film were unrealistically ornate.[65] Filming for this particular scene lasted for 45 days in a span of three months.[12][41] The inspiration for the use of minimal CGI for this sequence came from Hardcore Henry, on which Bekmambetov was a producer.[73] Accidents were done with computer imagery. The two lead actors did much of their own riding, without harm.

Huston and Kebbell were asked if they wanted stunt doubles for their parts, and they declined.[74]

A stuntman was thrown off from his chariot during filming, but suffered only mild injuries.[75] Another stuntman was thrown from a chariot and run over by the wheel of another. He was later hospitalized and treated for bruised ribs.[65] Bekmambetov said the authentic Roman costumes, with leather straps around the charioteer's chest, prevented that injury from being worse—though Daniel noted that every driver wore Kevlar underneath his costume.[65]

Music

Soundtrack

Ben-Hur – Songs Inspired by the Epic Film
Soundtrack album by
Various Artists
Released19 August 2016
Recorded2016
GenreSoundtrack, Christian pop
Length51:07
LabelWord Entertainment
ProducerVarious Artists
Singles from Ben-Hur – Songs Inspired by the Epic Film
  1. "The Only Way Out"
    Released: 2016

Ben-Hur – Songs Inspired by the Epic Film is the soundtrack of the film. It was released on August 19, 2016, by Word Entertainment.[76]

Track listing

No.TitlePerformer(s)Length
1."Amazing Grace"Jordan Smith4:23
2."Sisters & Brothers"Sidewalk Prophets3:28
3."When We Love"Love & the Outcome4:07
4."Let It Be Love"Family Force 53:30
5."Ceasefire"For King & Country4:16
6."Surrender"Blanca4:02
7."Shadows"We Are Messengers3:07
8."Never Burn Out"Stars Go Dim3:54
9."Your Love Is Enough"Jon Foreman3:43
10."Drop Your Stone"Chris August4:10
11."If We're Honest"Francesca Battistelli3:09
12."Come Sit Down"Big Daddy Weave5:35
13."The Only Way Out"Andra Day3:43
Total length:51:07

Score

Ben-Hur (Original Motion Picture Score)
Film score by
Marco Beltrami
Released5 August 2016
Recorded2016
GenreFilm score
Length1:06:31
LabelSony Classical Records
ProducerMarco Beltrami
Marco Beltrami film scores chronology
The Shallows
(2016) 		Ben-Hur (Original Motion Picture Score)
(2016) 		Anubis
(2018)

Ben-Hur (Original Motion Picture Score) is the film score for Ben-Hur. All scores were composed and conducted by Marco Beltrami, with additional music by Brandon Roberts and additional conducting by Mark Graham. It was released on 5 August 2016 by Sony Classical Records.[77]

Track listing

All music is composed by Marco Beltrami.

No.TitleLength
1."Ben-Hur Theme"2:52
2."Jerusalem 33 A.D. / Sibling Rivalry"2:23
3."Carrying Judah"1:57
4."Mother's Favorite"1:21
5."Messala Leaves Home"1:33
6."Dear Messala"1:46
7."Messala Returns"1:33
8."Speaking of Zealots"1:27
9."Messala and Tirzah"1:36
10."Brothers Divide"1:40
11."Home Invasion"4:41
12."Galley Slaves"4:59
13."Rammed Hard"2:18
14."Judah Ashore"2:29
15."Horse Healer"1:26
16."Ben and Esther"1:38
17."Training"3:19
18."Invitation"1:16
19."Ilderim Wagers"2:38
20."Leper Colony / Messala Will Pay"3:04
21."The Circus"2:39
22."Chariots of Fire"4:17
23."Brother vs. Brother"4:26
24."Carried Off"1:22
25."Jesus Arrested"3:10
26."Forgiveness"1:51
27."Modeh Ani Haiku"2:50
Total length:1:06:31

Release

Ben-Hur was originally scheduled to be released in the United States and Canada on February 26, 2016, but Paramount moved its release date to August 12, 2016.[78] According to Variety, the decision to switch from February to August may have been due to the studio's faith in summer being the best time to release a tentpole epic.[78] At the 2016 CinemaCon, Paramount again announced it was moving the release date to August 19, 2016, and scheduling Florence Foster Jenkins for August 12, when Pete's Dragon, Sausage Party, and Anthropoid were also scheduled to be released.[79][80] The film was released in regular 2D, IMAX, 3D, Digital 3D, RealD 3D and IMAX 3D.[81][82][83] It was released in the United Kingdom and Ireland on September 7.[84]

Deadline Hollywood called the August date a prime time for the studio, after witnessing success with the releases of Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles during the month of August. Furthermore, the site highlighted that the 2016 Summer Olympics would be an ideal platform for the studio to promote the film, and that mid-August has proven to be the last point of time in the summer for a film to accrue a large amount of revenue, before weekend box office performances drop from the Labor Day holiday onwards.[85][86] Ben-Hur is the third summer 2016 tentpole from Paramount Pictures, following Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (3 June) and Star Trek Beyond (22 July).[87] It was the last big-budget release of the summer movie season.[88][89]

Ben-Hur was released in Malaysia on 15 September 2016. The film's release drew controversy, when some viewers complained that scenes depicting Jesus Christ had been cut out from the Malaysian theatrical version. The Malaysian Film Censorship Board's chairman, Datuk Abdul Halim Abdul Hamid, clarified that the Malaysian censors had not cut out scenes depicting Jesus from the film, but suggested that the film producers did cut out a few scenes to suit the sensitivities of certain markets. The film's Malaysian distributor, United International Pictures Malaysia, has since confirmed that the cuts were made to fulfil local legal requirements and guidelines.[90]

Marketing

Two exclusive photos of the film were released by USA Today on March 14, 2016.[9] On March 15, Entertainment Tonight released a world exclusive premiere of some of the scenes of the chariot race,[91] and on the following day, the first official trailer was released online,[87][92] along with a teaser poster.[93]

The trailer was released a week after Paramount released 10 Cloverfield Lane in theaters.[87] Although Paramount did not secure a Super Bowl commercial spot for the film, Scott Mendelson of Forbes felt that it was an appropriate film to advertise before Sony Pictures' faith-based Miracles from Heaven opened on March 16.[87] The trailer garnered a polarized reception from critics and audiences,[94][95][96] with comparisons being made to 300: Rise of an Empire,[97] Gladiator,[98][99][100] and Spartacus: Blood and Sand.[101] In its first week, the trailer was viewed over 8.2 million times across YouTube and Facebook, making it the fourth most viewed trailer of the week.[102] The trailer was also screened in front of over 30,000 people at Hillsong Conference 2016.[citation needed]

Jesus is in the film, which was used for some faith-based marketing to a Christian audience.[103]

Home media

Ben-Hur was released on Digital HD on November 29, 2016[104] and on Blu-ray and DVD on December 13, 2016.[105][106]

Reception

Box office

Ben-Hur was called by Hollywood observers the summer's biggest box office bomb, and one of the biggest flops of 2016.[107][108] The film grossed $26.4 million in the United States and Canada and $67.7 million in other countries for a worldwide total of $94.1 million, against a production budget of $100 million.[3] Due to its underperformance at the box office, executives at rival studios believe the film lost around $100–120 million theatrically.[109] Sources close to the film, however, believe the ultimate losses were likely $60–75 million, noting the film could do well on DVD and other home entertainment platforms.[110][111][112] The losses for MGM were heavier, since they financed 80% of the total production budget, including marketing expenses. As a result, Paramount's share of the loss was about $13 million.[111] Sources at rival studios put the film's break even point at about $250 million globally.[110]

The Hollywood Reporter placed Ben-Hur among the biggest summer box office risks of 2016,[113] while Forbes deemed it "the summer's most predictable miss/catastrophe".[8][107] In the United States and Canada, the film was projected to gross to about $15 million in its opening weekend, a disappointing figure considering its $100 million production cost.[2] Due to a negative reception from critics and the influx of heavy competition,[114][115][116] the re-opening of schools after summer vacation, and the final weekend of the Rio Summer Olympics, the film's opening expectations were lowered as its opening approached.[42] It opened Friday, August 19, 2016, on around 3,300 screens across 3,084 theaters, and earned $4.1 million,[117] including $900,000 it made from Thursday previews at 2,389 theaters.[116] The film went on to gross a low $11.2 million in its opening weekend, even with 3D and IMAX bumps, finishing sixth at the box office and third among new releases, behind Kubo and the Two Strings and War Dogs.[118][119] The film's opening weekend demographic was 51% female vs. 49% male, with 94% of the overall audience coming in over the age of 25.[120]

Many box office critics and publications considered the film a box office bomb based on its opening alone.[7][8][121][122][123][124] Jeff Bock, a box office analyst with Exhibitor Relations, called it "the bomb of the summer."[7] Critics pointed out that a lack of star power, its August release date, competition, negative reviews (both from critics and audiences), and a lack of marketing, were potential causes for the film's underperformance.[125][126] According to Variety, the film was unable to expand beyond its core Christian audience. It performed well in areas of the US that are more religious, but did not do as well in more secular regions of the country.[7] As a result of its poor opening, Ben-Hur joined various other films set in ancient times to underperform at the box office, especially recent big-budget movies from major studios – Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014), The Legend of Hercules (2014), and Gods of Egypt (2016).[42][127][128]

Ben-Hur depended heavily on foreign markets, especially in Christian offshore territories, such as Latin America, in order to pass its break even point and to recoup its production budget (including marketing expenses).[42][88] Outside North America, Ben-Hur grossed $10.7 million in its opening weekend from 23 international markets (18 territories released by Paramount and 5 by MGM). It had No. 1 openings in certain markets like Mexico, the Philippines, India, Peru, Russia, France, and Bulgaria.[129] Its top openings were in Mexico (2.7 million), Russia ($2.3 million), Brazil ($2.2 million), the United Kingdom ($1.5 million), France ($1.2 million), and Spain ($1.1 million).[130][131][132] In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the film earned £265,000 in Wednesday and Thursday previews and through Sunday, and had a total opening of £1.05 million from 509 theaters. It debuted in second place behind the animated Sausage Party, after stiff competition from the horror film Don't Breathe, for the second spot. Minus previews, it earned £783,000 from Friday to Sunday alone, which placed the film at number five on the chart.[133]

It opened in South Korea on September 14,[130] and delivered a robust 5-day opening worth $6.69 million from 707 theaters.[134] It finished in first place among Hollywood films (ahead of The Magnificent Seven), and in second place overall behind local film The Age of Shadows.[135] Although it fell to second place in its sophomore weekend, it managed to fend off newcomers The Magnificent Seven and I Am a Hero, and grossed a total of $8.8 million there.[136][137] It opened in China—then the world's second biggest movie market—on October 10,[138] and delivered a paltry $2.51 million in its opening weekend. However, this is reflective of a seven days total as it opened on a Monday. Based on Friday to Sunday alone, the total was just $460,000, managing to debut at number ten.[139]

In terms of total earnings, South Korea ($8.8 million), Mexico ($6 million), and Brazil ($5.5 million) were its top markets.[131][136] The film's opening date in its final market, Japan, was February 8, 2017.[130][140]

Critical response

Ben-Hur received generally negative reviews from critics, most of which considered the film an unnecessary remake in comparison to the classic 1959 film. On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 25% based on 190 reviews with an average rating of 4.56/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "How do you fight an idea? By filming a remake that has too few of its own, and tries to cover it up with choppy editing and CGI."[141] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 38 out of 100 based on 34 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[142] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.[143]

The A.V. Club's Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, giving one of the few positive-leaning reviews, wrote: "At first, the new adaptation of Lew Wallace’s New Testament soap opera seems impersonal, as dusty and ornamented as any movie in which robed Jews and Romans argue about gods and kings in accents of vaguely British origin [,]" but as it progresses, "Ben-Hur announces itself as the sort of elemental re-imagining of the source material that no one in their right mind would ever expect it to be."[144] IGN's Scott Collura gave the film 5.8/10, writing: "Ben-Hur is an adequate introduction to the classic tale of revenge and forgiveness, but it's an uneven one. Toby Kebbell's antagonist character frequently outweighs the appeal of Jack Huston’s hero, the more religious elements of the story don’t jell very well with the action set pieces, and much of the cast are left behind by their own movie. But still, there’s no denying the power of Ben-Hur's final redemption. It’s just not a very smooth ride getting there."[145]

The New York Times' Stephen Holden wrote, "Overseen by a director not known for his human touch and lacking a name star, except for Mr. Freeman, Ben-Hur feels like a film made on the cheap, although it looks costly."[146] Richard Roeper gave the film two stars out of four, writing: "Ben-Hur struggles to find an identity and never really gets there. The well-intentioned efforts to achieve moving, faith-based awakenings are undercut by the casually violent, PG-13 action sequences."[147] The Hollywood Reporter's Todd McCarthy described the film's chariot race scene as being "heavily digitized and over-edited", and called it the worst scene of the film he described as "Misguided, diminished and dismally done in every way".[148]

Rolling Stone labeled the film "A Remake Disaster of Biblical Proportions."[149] Empire summarized it as "passable for the most part, but laughably inept in places."[150]

Sister Rose Pacatte wrote a positive review for the National Catholic Reporter, objecting only to the anachronistic costumes worn by Jewish women in the film.[151]

Accolades

Award Category Subject Result
EDA Special Mention Award Sequel or Remake That Shouldn't Have Been Made — Won
Yoga Award Worst Remake Timur Bekmambetov Won

American Federation of Musicians v. Paramount Pictures

In April 2015, the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada filed a lawsuit against MGM and Paramount Pictures, with the federation accusing the studios of not paying proper wages, benefits and residual compensation to the hired musicians working on the film.[152][153]

See also

References

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January 07, 2023
2016, film, 2016, epic, historical, drama, film, directed, timur, bekmambetov, written, keith, clarke, john, ridley, fifth, film, adaptation, 1880, novel, tale, christ, wallace, following, 1907, silent, short, film, 1925, silent, film, academy, award, winning,. Ben Hur is a 2016 epic historical drama film directed by Timur Bekmambetov and written by Keith Clarke and John Ridley It is the fifth film adaptation of the 1880 novel Ben Hur A Tale of the Christ by Lew Wallace following the 1907 silent short film the 1925 silent film the Academy Award winning 1959 film and the 2003 animated film it is the third version produced by Metro Goldwyn Mayer It has been termed a re adaptation reimagining and new interpretation of the novel and follows Judah Ben Hur a young prince who is falsely accused by his step brother an officer of the Roman army and is sent to slavery only to escape and seek vengeance 4 5 The film stars Jack Huston as the titular character alongside Toby Kebbell Rodrigo Santoro Nazanin Boniadi Ayelet Zurer and Morgan Freeman Principal photography began on February 2 2015 in Matera Italy and lasted about five months finishing in June 2015 Ben HurTheatrical release posterDirected byTimur BekmambetovScreenplay byKeith Clarke John RidleyBased onBen Hur A Tale of the Christby Lew WallaceProduced bySean Daniel Joni Levin Duncan HendersonStarringJack Huston Toby Kebbell Rodrigo Santoro Nazanin Boniadi Ayelet Zurer Morgan FreemanCinematographyOliver WoodEdited byDody DornMusic byMarco BeltramiProductioncompaniesParamount Pictures Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures The Sean Daniel Company Lightworkers MediaDistributed byParamount PicturesRelease datesAugust 9 2016 2016 08 09 Mexico City August 19 2016 2016 08 19 United States Running time125 minutesCountriesUnited States Italy 1 LanguageEnglishBudget 100 million 2 Box office 94 1 million 3 Ben Hur premiered on August 9 2016 in Mexico City and was theatrically released by Paramount Pictures on August 19 2016 in the United States in 2D 3D RealD 3D Digital 3D and IMAX 3D 6 It received generally negative reviews and was a box office failure grossing 94 million worldwide against its 100 million production budget plus a large amount spent on marketing and distribution 7 8 Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Production 3 1 Development 3 2 Principal photography 3 3 Chariot race sequence 4 Music 4 1 Soundtrack 4 1 1 Track listing 4 2 Score 4 2 1 Track listing 5 Release 5 1 Marketing 5 2 Home media 6 Reception 6 1 Box office 6 2 Critical response 6 3 Accolades 6 4 American Federation of Musicians v Paramount Pictures 7 See also 8 References 9 External linksPlot EditJewish prince Judah Ben Hur and his adopted Roman brother Messala are best friends despite their different origins After Judah s mother resists Messala s interest in her daughter Tirzah Messala enlists in the Roman army and achieves glory Ben Hur eventually marries his slave Esther after Messala leaves Three years later Messala returns as a decorated Roman officer His return coincides with a rising insurrection by the Zealots Jews opposed to Roman rule Ben Hur begrudgingly treats and shelters a young Zealot named Dismas and attempts to dissuade him from the cause Messala reunites with Ben Hur and attempts to convince him to serve as an informant the new governor Pontius Pilate is coming to Jerusalem and Messala does not want any revolt Judah claims he will talk to the locals During Pilate s march Dismas attempts to assassinate Pilate from Judah s balcony The Romans storm Ben Hur s household and arrest him and his family Rather than betray Dismas Ben Hur takes responsibility for the assassination attempt and his mother and sister are sentenced to crucifixion While being led to the prison galley Ben Hur encounters Jesus who gives him water Ben Hur then endures five years of slavery as a rower aboard a Roman prison galley During a battle against Greek rebels in the Ionian Sea Ben Hur s galley is boarded collides with another ship and is destroyed Ben Hur manages to free himself and floats on a ship mast He is washed ashore and found by Sheik Ilderim who recognizes him as an escaped slave Ben Hur manages to convince Ilderim not to hand him over to the Romans by treating one of Ilderim s racing horses After Ben Hur develops a bond with the four racing horses a grateful Ilderim then trains Ben Hur to be a chariot racer Ben Hur and Ilderim travel to Jerusalem to take part in a chariot race Jesus preaching ministry draws the attention of governor Pilate and Messala who is now the commander of the Roman garrison and a champion chariot racer While visiting Jerusalem Ben Hur encounters Esther who has become a follower of Jesus and is involved in charity work Esther tells Ben Hur that his mother and sister are dead and despite their reunion the two are kept emotionally apart due to her new cause which is contrary to his insistence on seeking revenge against Messala Ben Hur confronts Messala alone in their former home but is forced to flee when Roman soldiers turn up After the Romans execute twenty Jews in reprisal Esther completely falls out with Ben Hur Just before the race Ben Hur encounters a former Roman soldier named Druses who informs him that his mother Naomi and sister Tirzah are still alive However their reunion is soured when Ben Hur discovers his mother and sister have leprosy and Ben Hur is enraged at their condition Ilderim convinces Pilate to allow Ben Hur to compete by proposing a high wager against Messala Esther tries to convince Messala not to race Ben Hur but he is adamant that he will win On the day of the race Ben Hur follows Ilderim s instructions to hold back from the race until the final laps Using dirty tactics Messala manages to knock out the other charioteers After Messala attempts to destroy Ben Hur s chariot their chariots become stuck When Messala tries to kick Ben Hur from his chariot his chariot breaks loose and he is trampled Judah wins the Jewish spectators begin attacking the Romans and Judah is carried away Despite his victory Ben Hur is despondent about his family and Messala s fate Esther is with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane later she and Ben Hur witness Jesus bearing the cross Mirroring his first encounter with Jesus Ben Hur tries to offer Jesus water but is beaten by a Roman soldier Esther and Judah witness Jesus death on the cross Naomi and Tirzah are miraculously healed and Ilderim pays a ransom to set them free Ben Hur seeks out an injured Messala who initially swears to continue hunting Judah After experiencing Judah s kindness and forgiveness Messala relents and they reconcile Judah and Messala return to his family who all leave Jerusalem with Ilderim Cast Edit Top to bottom Jack Huston Toby Kebbell and Morgan Freeman star in the film as respectively Judah Ben Hur Messala and Sheik Ilderim Jack Huston as Judah Ben Hur A Jewish prince in Roman occupied Jerusalem who is betrayed and falsely accused of treason and is sentenced to a life of slavery Ben Hur loses everything and spends five years in the galley of a Roman slave ship He later takes on the Roman Empire and his adoptive brother in a grand chariot race while finding redemption and being forever changed after a series of encounters with Jesus Christ 9 10 11 Charlton Heston s daughter in law is a friend of Huston s family and he met Charlton a few times before he died I remember being very struck by the film when I was younger Huston has said The leper scene especially stuck in his mind He re watched the 1959 film prepping for this version 12 13 He was initially offered the role of Messala but director Bekmambetov decided instead he had the sympathetic manner and grit to play the title role 14 Bekmambetov found Huston to be an actor who not only was a well built experienced horseman but one who felt like he was born in that era He said I wouldn t be surprised if some of Jack s many famous ancestors took part in an actual fight between Romans and Judaeans we depict in our film 9 Tom Hiddleston was originally considered for the role 15 Huston was well aware of the comparisons being made between him and Heston saying Of course there are going to be haters that s par for the course when you re retelling such an infamous tale It s like Kenneth Branagh going to do Romeo and Juliet again for like the 50th time But I think one of the greatest compliments one could ever be giving to author Lew Wallace is that we re still reimagining his work more than 120 years later because it s so powerful 16 Toby Kebbell as Messala An officer in the Roman army and Ben Hur s childhood friend and adoptive brother who betrays him 9 10 17 Morgan Freeman as Sheik Ilderim A wealthy Nubian sheik who trains Ben Hur to become a charioteer to take revenge on his brother Messala 10 Unlike Wyler s version who was a secondary character and an essentially comic one there is no humor in this version Moreover Ilderim has quite a bit of power in the story And I like playing power It s something about my own personal ego Freeman said 18 Freeman is part of the international cast in the film Producer Daniel spoke about that saying the movie business was never as global as it is today so it makes sense from a creative and commercial point of view to do this movie for the whole world 12 Nazanin Boniadi as Esther A Jewish slave and the wife of Ben Hur 10 19 Boniadi was very pleased by the fact that the women s roles in the film were expanded unlike the previous versions She described her character as very strong willed and independent which to her was very refreshing given the era that this film is set in She added compared to the 1959 film Esther definitely has more of a presence she s definitely a stronger woman and a stronger character 12 20 21 Rodrigo Santoro as Jesus Unlike the original film Christ has a prominent role in this version 11 22 23 Paramount Pictures vice chairman Rob Moore stated that Christ in this version is going to be consistent with people s expectations and that the expectations of the faithful will be honored by this one This was because Paramount wants to avoid the sort of backlash received by Darren Aronofsky s Noah because some Christians were dismayed by the film s inventive interpretation of the Bible 5 24 Santoro said it was the most challenging role he had ever taken on 18 He received personal blessings from Pope Francis for his role as Christ 25 26 Sofia Black D Elia as Tirzah Ben Hur s sister 10 27 Ayelet Zurer as Naomi Ben Hur s mother 10 28 Haluk Bilginer as Simonides A loyal Jewish servant to Ithamar Judah s birth father becomes a wealthy merchant in Antioch Moises Arias as Dismas A teenage Jewish zealot whose family has been murdered by the Romans and is desperate to fight for his people s freedom he is later crucified beside Jesus 10 29 30 Pilou Asbaek as Pontius Pilate The Roman governor of Judea who oversees the chariot race 10 31 Marwan Kenzari as Druses A Roman captain who is involved with the betrayal by Messala that sends Ben Hur on his path to redemption 32 James Cosmo as Quintus Arius 33 Production EditDevelopment Edit Timur Bekmambetov directed the film In 2013 Metro Goldwyn Mayer acquired Keith R Clarke s script an adaptation of Lew Wallace s 1880 novel Ben Hur A Tale of the Christ which is in the public domain 34 In April 2014 Paramount Pictures and MGM announced that they would co produce a new version of Ben Hur based on the novel with Mark Burnett and Roma Downey serving as producer and executive producer respectively 35 MGM had previously released two films based on the book the 1925 silent film and the more famous 1959 film of same name The rights to the latter film were sold to Ted Turner in the 1980s 35 MGM had just emerged from bankruptcy due to the global success of the twenty third James Bond film Skyfall and The Hobbit An Unexpected Journey which both went to gross over 1 billion at the box office worldwide including above 300 million in the United States and Canada while Paramount were doing well at the time with the biblical tale Noah 35 36 John Ridley 12 Years a Slave was hired to revise the script with Sean Daniel Burnett and Joni Levin attached to produce and Downey Clarke and Jason Brown executive producing 34 35 Duncan Henderson was later attached to produce with John Ridley also executive producing 10 It was announced that the new film would differ from the 1959 version and deal with the formative relationships of Ben Hur and Messala growing up as best friends before the Roman Empire took control of Jerusalem and that Christ would have a prominent role 35 This movie is about the Roman Empire how seductive and glamorous and dangerous its ideas are it s about power and competition And we live in this world We live in the Roman Empire today and this movie is trying to find a way how we can survive today It s not a movie about Jesus time it s a movie about us Director Timur Bekmambetov explaining the version of the film 13 In September 2013 Timur Bekmambetov was hired to direct the film 37 Bekmambetov was initially reluctant to direct and did not wish to tackle a film whose predecessor had so much impact After producer Sean Daniel persuaded him to read the script he accepted it 38 saying I read the script And suddenly I understood this story is not what I expected It s not a remake it s an interpretation of the famous book 13 He stated the story of Ben Hur reminded him of Romeo and Juliet Hamlet and Anton Chekhov s work 39 He was fascinated by the 1959 film but found the focus on revenge rather than forgiveness to be the main problem this was the prime difference between the book and the 1959 movie the book was written about forgiveness and the movie was about revenge and miracles Hence he wanted to stress the themes of forgiveness and love rather than mere vengeance He found the most important values of pride rivalry power strength the dictatorship of power and self love that were prominent in the Roman Empire to be the primary subjects in this version 40 39 He said that the film is not just the story of Ben Hur but rather the shared story of him and his brother Messala 4 Bekmambetov was aware of the comparisons being made with the earlier classical adapted films and hence felt the need to make the film very different from the others As a result he decided to make a realistic drama film rather than a large tent pole attraction 4 The director did not set out to make a more stylized version of the past as he did with Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter he wanted to make a film that was more grounded and tangible 41 Producer Mark Burnett stated that films like Ben Hur which are centered on faith and the messages of Jesus Christ need to feel like epic summer blockbusters in order to attract younger and secular audiences He explained that part of what caused the immensity of the budget 100 million are the special effects and the 3D experience that young audiences are expecting MGM financed 80 of the production costs while the remaining 20 were covered by Paramount 42 In June 2015 Rob Moore the vice chairman of Paramount explained that this version is not so much a remake of the 1959 film but a new interpretation of the Lew Wallace novel on which both are based 5 It s going to be different in the sense that the original writer Keith Clarke wrote an amazing script and then went back to the Lew Wallace novel and really excavated the relationship between the two main characters Ben Hur and Messala It s interesting to a degree It s kind of like going after Jimi Hendrix because there are things about the 1959 movie that we think we remember there are things that really happened including obviously the chariot race so it s going to be different in the sense that we re not really trying to completely chase the movie people remember but there are elements of that movie the heart of the film the emotional drive of the film that we want to try to bring to a whole new audience I think it s an interesting project It s certainly challenging It s certainly one that people are going to come into with expectations but like anything you do you gotta exceed those expectations to a degree and also not worry about them because at its core we hope and believe that we ve got something that s unique John Ridley 43 John Ridley re wrote the script based on an original screenplay by Keith Clarke which itself was based on Lew Wallace s 1880 novel Ben Hur A Tale of the Christ 44 Ridley admired how Clarke went back to the source material and focused his attention on the subjects of racial slavery and colonization and the deep relationships between the two friends He was more drawn to the project since it dealt with themes of faith in a very potent manner 44 45 The studio approached him in October 2013 after he wrote the screenplay for 12 Years a Slave which went on to win an Oscar the following year 46 The studio wanted him to make a production polish that deals with just honing the story and making it filmable 44 Tom Hiddleston was originally considered for the title role Judah Ben Hur 47 Jack Huston was later cast instead 48 On September 11 Morgan Freeman was added to the cast to play Sheik Ilderim the man who teaches Ben Hur to become a champion chariot racer 49 On September 18 sources confirmed that Toby Kebbell was in early talks to play the villain Messala 50 On October 15 Gal Gadot was in talks to join the film as Esther the slave with whom Ben Hur is in love 51 Pedro Pascal from the TV series Game of Thrones was in talks to play Pontius Pilate 52 On October 30 TheWrap confirmed that Gadot s negotiations with Paramount and MGM had ended and the actress had withdrawn reportedly due to scheduling conflicts with Batman v Superman Dawn of Justice 53 On November 4 Marwan Kenzari was added to the cast as Druses a Roman captain 54 On November 11 Ayelet Zurer was in final negotiations to play Naomi Judah Ben Hur s mother 28 Miriam in the book and the 1959 adaptation On 13 November Olivia Cooke was being considered for Tirzah Ben Hur s sister 55 On December 2 Nazanin Boniadi was confirmed as the actress who would play Esther 19 On January 12 2015 Sofia Black D Elia was cast as Ben Hur s sister Tirzah 27 On January 13 Rodrigo Santoro was announced as Jesus 22 On January 20 Moises Arias was added to the cast to play Gestas a teenage Jewish zealot who is desperate to fight for freedom after his family has been murdered by the Romans 29 On January 21 Pilou Asbaek was cast as Pontius Pilate replacing Pascal for the role 31 Principal photography Edit On February 2 2015 MGM and Paramount Pictures announced that principal photography had begun and that like the original film filming would take place mostly in Italy specifically in Rome and Matera 10 The Sassi di Matera in Basilicata and the Cinecitta studios in Rome were also chosen among the film s settings 56 57 In most instances CGI were used extensively However Bekmambetov wanted to rely more on practical effects and tried to do as little CGI as possible in moments where it was not heavily needed 41 58 Producers Roma Downey and Mark Burnett chose Matera as a location for Jerusalem one of the same locations where Mel Gibson s biblical movie The Passion of the Christ was filmed 11 Exterior shooting lasted for two months and finished in early April 2015 59 Production then moved to Cinecitta Studios where interior shooting took place for four months including the chariot scene among others 60 61 Around 2 000 extras were used throughout the film 62 Painted Canyon in Billings County North Dakota served as one of the filming locations for Ben Hur In March 2016 Adam Sidman an associate of Timur Bekmambetov sent a request to the Bureau of Land Management s South Coast in Palm Springs which oversees federal land in the Coachella Valley area asking if the team can shoot a horse scene in the Painted Canyon which is off Box Canyon Road with two horses several cameras and a film crew of about 30 His application was rejected and Sidman thought it was because of the size of the production He then tried to negotiate again but to no avail 63 He then contacted the executive director of the Greater Palm Springs Film Alliance office Levi Vincent to look into the matter To Vincent it almost seemed like the rejection was based on arbitrary reasons With the help of local lawmakers they were able to convinced the BLM to approve the request but this time with a much scaled down production of 8 crew members no horses and the use of a drone rather than handheld cameras 63 Chariot race sequence Edit The chariot race was originally planned to be filmed at the Circus Maximus arena in Rome but access was denied due to fear that the stunts would damage the historic site 64 The famous chariot race sequence which runs about 10 minutes almost exactly the same as in the prior films 65 was originally planned to be filmed in the Circus Maximus arena in Rome however producers were denied access by Italy s national cultural authorities due to fears that the stunts would damage the fragile historic site which was under restoration at that time 64 66 The filming location had been approved by local officials as well as Rome s mayor Ignazio Marino who lamented the decision to deny the producers access saying The aim of the city administration isn t so much to raise revenue in exchange for the use of public space but to give back to Rome the role of being a big international set which is in our history and our tradition 64 According to sources obtained by The Guardian the decision to forbid Ben Hur from filming there was due to technical issues 64 Though no official reasons had been given archaeological experts speculated that the influx of heavy filming vehicles and hundreds of extras to the arena could have caused untold damage to the site 67 68 However the Italian cultural minister Dario Franceschini declined to comment 64 As a result producers were forced to film the scene at Cinecitta Studios where much of the 1959 film was also shot 64 It is not clear whether the filmmakers had planned to use that location for the main chariot race which is supposed to take place in Antioch or if they were planning to shoot one of the earlier races that Judah Ben Hur takes part in while he is still living in Rome 59 Bekmambetov however cited the size of the stadium as too large for shooting as the reason 12 The whole race was planned in advance in several iterations of storyboards and animated previsualization videos 65 In order to re create the sequence producers and horse race track experts built a 1 000 foot long arena with a 250 metre long and 50 metre wide track stands and gates called Circus Tiberius at Cinecitta World a film themed amusement park about 45 minutes south of Rome It was built partly on the back lot of producer Dino De Laurentiis s former studio complex According to production designer Naomi Shohan arena designs were compiled from archaeological records of circuses in Roman territories One sixth of the arena was physically built and the rest was added to the film by computer graphics Unique chariots were also built based on original references 13 65 69 A total of 86 horses were supplied by horse master Steve Dent with back up animals and were trained for several months to be able to race at 40 miles per hour 41 65 69 Dent has assembled larger stables for films like Ridley Scott s Robin Hood 2010 but said that this was more of a worry job 65 There were 60 handlers for the horses and 12 horses were put in rotation for every four horse drawn carriage so the animals would have a chance to rest 70 Multiple chariots were made for each character some with brakes though the horses are strong enough to overpower the brakes some with room for a second blind driver or bonnet fitted camera some with different sized wheels for filming on the turns instead of the straights and some to flip over or crash 13 Massimo Pauletto an art director on the film who built the chariots said that his team had to reinvent a forgotten skill from the sketches nobody was understanding how they could become real and the toughest part was to fit together practical needs and special effects needs 13 Problems cropped up day by day as the bolts that held the chariots together kept being broken by the horses due to their immense strength and the bar that attached the horses was bent As a result the crew had to learn how to build a new one week after week citation needed To capture the thunderous feel of the race the film crew attached microphones to the horses to record the sound of pounding hooves and GoPro cameras were buried in the sand 70 The cameras were also planted on chariots and people one of which was placed on a soccer ball in the middle of the track while the horses ran over it 65 Huston and Kebbell spent two and a half months preparing and rehearsing to learn how to drive chariot races in Italy 9 six days a week 58 It took time for the stuntmen to learn to drive them and they were only called in for extremely dangerous stunts But overall it was actors in the chariots 41 65 A total of 20 chariots were used 69 A bulk of scenes were done using real practical stunts without any CGI assistance and digital models were only used when filming was too dangerous 41 71 Around 400 extras were used as spectators which were then increased to around 100 000 with special effects 12 Bekmambetov s goal was to shoot these action scenes so realistically that the audience feels that they are inside the chariot and driving it 72 He was inspired by YouTube videos and Instagram photos The camerawork is very specific when we see NASCAR or motorbike racing on YouTube It s either long lens close up cameras very professional or it s iPhone cameras from people in the crowd cars passing by at the speed of light and they barely have a chance to pan and catch something 65 Phil Neilson who served as the stunt coordinator for the film had previously worked on many films including Ridley Scott s Gladiator 41 Jonathan Stamp a historian who had consulted on the HBO BBC series Rome advised on the film s chariot design He noted that the chariots in the 1959 film were unrealistically ornate 65 Filming for this particular scene lasted for 45 days in a span of three months 12 41 The inspiration for the use of minimal CGI for this sequence came from Hardcore Henry on which Bekmambetov was a producer 73 Accidents were done with computer imagery The two lead actors did much of their own riding without harm Huston and Kebbell were asked if they wanted stunt doubles for their parts and they declined 74 A stuntman was thrown off from his chariot during filming but suffered only mild injuries 75 Another stuntman was thrown from a chariot and run over by the wheel of another He was later hospitalized and treated for bruised ribs 65 Bekmambetov said the authentic Roman costumes with leather straps around the charioteer s chest prevented that injury from being worse though Daniel noted that every driver wore Kevlar underneath his costume 65 Music EditSoundtrack Edit Ben Hur Songs Inspired by the Epic FilmSoundtrack album by Various ArtistsReleased19 August 2016Recorded2016GenreSoundtrack Christian popLength51 07LabelWord EntertainmentProducerVarious ArtistsSingles from Ben Hur Songs Inspired by the Epic Film The Only Way Out Released 2016Ben Hur Songs Inspired by the Epic Film is the soundtrack of the film It was released on August 19 2016 by Word Entertainment 76 Track listing Edit No TitlePerformer s Length1 Amazing Grace Jordan Smith4 232 Sisters amp Brothers Sidewalk Prophets3 283 When We Love Love amp the Outcome4 074 Let It Be Love Family Force 53 305 Ceasefire For King amp Country4 166 Surrender Blanca4 027 Shadows We Are Messengers3 078 Never Burn Out Stars Go Dim3 549 Your Love Is Enough Jon Foreman3 4310 Drop Your Stone Chris August4 1011 If We re Honest Francesca Battistelli3 0912 Come Sit Down Big Daddy Weave5 3513 The Only Way Out Andra Day3 43Total length 51 07 Score Edit Ben Hur Original Motion Picture Score Film score by Marco BeltramiReleased5 August 2016Recorded2016GenreFilm scoreLength1 06 31LabelSony Classical RecordsProducerMarco BeltramiMarco Beltrami film scores chronologyThe Shallows 2016 Ben Hur Original Motion Picture Score 2016 Anubis 2018 Ben Hur Original Motion Picture Score is the film score for Ben Hur All scores were composed and conducted by Marco Beltrami with additional music by Brandon Roberts and additional conducting by Mark Graham It was released on 5 August 2016 by Sony Classical Records 77 Track listing Edit All music is composed by Marco Beltrami No TitleLength1 Ben Hur Theme 2 522 Jerusalem 33 A D Sibling Rivalry 2 233 Carrying Judah 1 574 Mother s Favorite 1 215 Messala Leaves Home 1 336 Dear Messala 1 467 Messala Returns 1 338 Speaking of Zealots 1 279 Messala and Tirzah 1 3610 Brothers Divide 1 4011 Home Invasion 4 4112 Galley Slaves 4 5913 Rammed Hard 2 1814 Judah Ashore 2 2915 Horse Healer 1 2616 Ben and Esther 1 3817 Training 3 1918 Invitation 1 1619 Ilderim Wagers 2 3820 Leper Colony Messala Will Pay 3 0421 The Circus 2 3922 Chariots of Fire 4 1723 Brother vs Brother 4 2624 Carried Off 1 2225 Jesus Arrested 3 1026 Forgiveness 1 5127 Modeh Ani Haiku 2 50Total length 1 06 31Release EditBen Hur was originally scheduled to be released in the United States and Canada on February 26 2016 but Paramount moved its release date to August 12 2016 78 According to Variety the decision to switch from February to August may have been due to the studio s faith in summer being the best time to release a tentpole epic 78 At the 2016 CinemaCon Paramount again announced it was moving the release date to August 19 2016 and scheduling Florence Foster Jenkins for August 12 when Pete s Dragon Sausage Party and Anthropoid were also scheduled to be released 79 80 The film was released in regular 2D IMAX 3D Digital 3D RealD 3D and IMAX 3D 81 82 83 It was released in the United Kingdom and Ireland on September 7 84 Deadline Hollywood called the August date a prime time for the studio after witnessing success with the releases of Mission Impossible Rogue Nation and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles during the month of August Furthermore the site highlighted that the 2016 Summer Olympics would be an ideal platform for the studio to promote the film and that mid August has proven to be the last point of time in the summer for a film to accrue a large amount of revenue before weekend box office performances drop from the Labor Day holiday onwards 85 86 Ben Hur is the third summer 2016 tentpole from Paramount Pictures following Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Out of the Shadows 3 June and Star Trek Beyond 22 July 87 It was the last big budget release of the summer movie season 88 89 Ben Hur was released in Malaysia on 15 September 2016 The film s release drew controversy when some viewers complained that scenes depicting Jesus Christ had been cut out from the Malaysian theatrical version The Malaysian Film Censorship Board s chairman Datuk Abdul Halim Abdul Hamid clarified that the Malaysian censors had not cut out scenes depicting Jesus from the film but suggested that the film producers did cut out a few scenes to suit the sensitivities of certain markets The film s Malaysian distributor United International Pictures Malaysia has since confirmed that the cuts were made to fulfil local legal requirements and guidelines 90 Marketing Edit Two exclusive photos of the film were released by USA Today on March 14 2016 9 On March 15 Entertainment Tonight released a world exclusive premiere of some of the scenes of the chariot race 91 and on the following day the first official trailer was released online 87 92 along with a teaser poster 93 The trailer was released a week after Paramount released 10 Cloverfield Lane in theaters 87 Although Paramount did not secure a Super Bowl commercial spot for the film Scott Mendelson of Forbes felt that it was an appropriate film to advertise before Sony Pictures faith based Miracles from Heaven opened on March 16 87 The trailer garnered a polarized reception from critics and audiences 94 95 96 with comparisons being made to 300 Rise of an Empire 97 Gladiator 98 99 100 and Spartacus Blood and Sand 101 In its first week the trailer was viewed over 8 2 million times across YouTube and Facebook making it the fourth most viewed trailer of the week 102 The trailer was also screened in front of over 30 000 people at Hillsong Conference 2016 citation needed Jesus is in the film which was used for some faith based marketing to a Christian audience 103 Home media Edit Ben Hur was released on Digital HD on November 29 2016 104 and on Blu ray and DVD on December 13 2016 105 106 Reception EditBox office Edit Ben Hur was called by Hollywood observers the summer s biggest box office bomb and one of the biggest flops of 2016 107 108 The film grossed 26 4 million in the United States and Canada and 67 7 million in other countries for a worldwide total of 94 1 million against a production budget of 100 million 3 Due to its underperformance at the box office executives at rival studios believe the film lost around 100 120 million theatrically 109 Sources close to the film however believe the ultimate losses were likely 60 75 million noting the film could do well on DVD and other home entertainment platforms 110 111 112 The losses for MGM were heavier since they financed 80 of the total production budget including marketing expenses As a result Paramount s share of the loss was about 13 million 111 Sources at rival studios put the film s break even point at about 250 million globally 110 The Hollywood Reporter placed Ben Hur among the biggest summer box office risks of 2016 113 while Forbes deemed it the summer s most predictable miss catastrophe 8 107 In the United States and Canada the film was projected to gross to about 15 million in its opening weekend a disappointing figure considering its 100 million production cost 2 Due to a negative reception from critics and the influx of heavy competition 114 115 116 the re opening of schools after summer vacation and the final weekend of the Rio Summer Olympics the film s opening expectations were lowered as its opening approached 42 It opened Friday August 19 2016 on around 3 300 screens across 3 084 theaters and earned 4 1 million 117 including 900 000 it made from Thursday previews at 2 389 theaters 116 The film went on to gross a low 11 2 million in its opening weekend even with 3D and IMAX bumps finishing sixth at the box office and third among new releases behind Kubo and the Two Strings and War Dogs 118 119 The film s opening weekend demographic was 51 female vs 49 male with 94 of the overall audience coming in over the age of 25 120 Many box office critics and publications considered the film a box office bomb based on its opening alone 7 8 121 122 123 124 Jeff Bock a box office analyst with Exhibitor Relations called it the bomb of the summer 7 Critics pointed out that a lack of star power its August release date competition negative reviews both from critics and audiences and a lack of marketing were potential causes for the film s underperformance 125 126 According to Variety the film was unable to expand beyond its core Christian audience It performed well in areas of the US that are more religious but did not do as well in more secular regions of the country 7 As a result of its poor opening Ben Hur joined various other films set in ancient times to underperform at the box office especially recent big budget movies from major studios Exodus Gods and Kings 2014 The Legend of Hercules 2014 and Gods of Egypt 2016 42 127 128 Ben Hur depended heavily on foreign markets especially in Christian offshore territories such as Latin America in order to pass its break even point and to recoup its production budget including marketing expenses 42 88 Outside North America Ben Hur grossed 10 7 million in its opening weekend from 23 international markets 18 territories released by Paramount and 5 by MGM It had No 1 openings in certain markets like Mexico the Philippines India Peru Russia France and Bulgaria 129 Its top openings were in Mexico 2 7 million Russia 2 3 million Brazil 2 2 million the United Kingdom 1 5 million France 1 2 million and Spain 1 1 million 130 131 132 In the United Kingdom and Ireland the film earned 265 000 in Wednesday and Thursday previews and through Sunday and had a total opening of 1 05 million from 509 theaters It debuted in second place behind the animated Sausage Party after stiff competition from the horror film Don t Breathe for the second spot Minus previews it earned 783 000 from Friday to Sunday alone which placed the film at number five on the chart 133 It opened in South Korea on September 14 130 and delivered a robust 5 day opening worth 6 69 million from 707 theaters 134 It finished in first place among Hollywood films ahead of The Magnificent Seven and in second place overall behind local film The Age of Shadows 135 Although it fell to second place in its sophomore weekend it managed to fend off newcomers The Magnificent Seven and I Am a Hero and grossed a total of 8 8 million there 136 137 It opened in China then the world s second biggest movie market on October 10 138 and delivered a paltry 2 51 million in its opening weekend However this is reflective of a seven days total as it opened on a Monday Based on Friday to Sunday alone the total was just 460 000 managing to debut at number ten 139 In terms of total earnings South Korea 8 8 million Mexico 6 million and Brazil 5 5 million were its top markets 131 136 The film s opening date in its final market Japan was February 8 2017 130 140 Critical response Edit Ben Hur received generally negative reviews from critics most of which considered the film an unnecessary remake in comparison to the classic 1959 film On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 25 based on 190 reviews with an average rating of 4 56 10 The site s critical consensus reads How do you fight an idea By filming a remake that has too few of its own and tries to cover it up with choppy editing and CGI 141 On Metacritic the film has a score of 38 out of 100 based on 34 critics indicating generally unfavorable reviews 142 Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of A on an A to F scale 143 The A V Club s Ignatiy Vishnevetsky giving one of the few positive leaning reviews wrote At first the new adaptation of Lew Wallace s New Testament soap opera seems impersonal as dusty and ornamented as any movie in which robed Jews and Romans argue about gods and kings in accents of vaguely British origin but as it progresses Ben Hur announces itself as the sort of elemental re imagining of the source material that no one in their right mind would ever expect it to be 144 IGN s Scott Collura gave the film 5 8 10 writing Ben Hur is an adequate introduction to the classic tale of revenge and forgiveness but it s an uneven one Toby Kebbell s antagonist character frequently outweighs the appeal of Jack Huston s hero the more religious elements of the story don t jell very well with the action set pieces and much of the cast are left behind by their own movie But still there s no denying the power of Ben Hur s final redemption It s just not a very smooth ride getting there 145 The New York Times Stephen Holden wrote Overseen by a director not known for his human touch and lacking a name star except for Mr Freeman Ben Hur feels like a film made on the cheap although it looks costly 146 Richard Roeper gave the film two stars out of four writing Ben Hur struggles to find an identity and never really gets there The well intentioned efforts to achieve moving faith based awakenings are undercut by the casually violent PG 13 action sequences 147 The Hollywood Reporter s Todd McCarthy described the film s chariot race scene as being heavily digitized and over edited and called it the worst scene of the film he described as Misguided diminished and dismally done in every way 148 Rolling Stone labeled the film A Remake Disaster of Biblical Proportions 149 Empire summarized it as passable for the most part but laughably inept in places 150 Sister Rose Pacatte wrote a positive review for the National Catholic Reporter objecting only to the anachronistic costumes worn by Jewish women in the film 151 Accolades Edit Award Category Subject ResultEDA Special Mention Award Sequel or Remake That Shouldn t Have Been Made WonYoga Award Worst Remake Timur Bekmambetov WonAmerican Federation of Musicians v Paramount Pictures Edit In April 2015 the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada filed a lawsuit against MGM and Paramount Pictures with the federation accusing the studios of not paying proper wages benefits and residual compensation to the hired musicians working on the film 152 153 See also EditList of films featuring slaveryReferences Edit Ben Hur 2016 British Film Institute Retrieved September 14 2022 a b Pamela McClintock July 28 2016 Box Office Ben Hur Tracking for Alarming 14M 15M U S Debut The Hollywood Reporter Archived from the original on July 29 2016 Retrieved July 29 2016 a b Ben Hur 2016 Box Office Mojo IMDb Archived from the original on September 30 2016 Retrieved October 3 2016 a b c Jack Giroux March 29 2016 Don t Expect to See Any Slo Mo Chariot Races in the Ben Hur Remake Film Archived from the original on April 2 2016 Retrieved April 1 2016 a b c Michael Cieply June 25 2015 Paramount Promises Respectful Portrayal of Jesus in Ben Hur The New York Times Archived from the original on June 19 2016 Retrieved March 16 2016 Ben Hur imax com IMAX Corporation June 23 2016 Archived from the original on July 5 2016 Retrieved July 7 2016 a b c d Brent Lang August 21 2016 Box Office Ben Hur Flops With 11 4 Million Suicide Squad Still on Top Variety Archived from the original on August 22 2016 Retrieved August 22 2016 a b c Scott Mendelson Box Office Ben Hur Bombed In America Because No One Wanted To See It Forbes Archived from the original on August 23 2016 Retrieved August 22 2016 a b c d e Brian Truitt March 14 2016 Sneak peek Jack Huston takes reins of new Ben Hur USA Today Archived from the original on March 15 2016 Retrieved March 15 2016 a b c d e f g h i j MGM and Paramount Start Principal Photography on Ben Hur comingsoon net February 2 2015 Archived from the original on February 3 2015 Retrieved February 3 2015 a b c Vincent Funaro October 15 2015 Passion of the Christ Film Location Helped Bring Ben Hur Remake to Life Christian Post Archived from the original on March 16 2016 Retrieved March 15 2016 a b c d e f Horatia Harrod August 13 2016 Jesus meets the Fast amp Furious remaking Ben Hur for 2016 The Daily Telegraph Archived from the original on August 13 2016 Retrieved August 13 2016 a b c d e f Nick Miller August 14 2016 Ben Hur 2016 On set during the epic chariot race Bendigo Advertiser Archived from the original on September 17 2016 Retrieved August 14 2016 Mike Fleming Jr September 16 2014 Ben Hur Remake Boardwalk Empire s Jack Huston Lands Title Role Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on March 6 2016 Retrieved March 15 2016 Mike Fleming Jr August 12 2014 Sweet Chariot Tom Hiddleston Courted For Ben Hur Title Role Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on March 24 2016 Retrieved March 16 2016 Peter Debruge August 10 2016 Is Ben Hur a Dark Horse in the Chariot Race for Global Audiences Variety Archived from the original on August 11 2016 Retrieved August 12 2016 Denise Petski March 16 2016 Ben Hur Trailer Jack Huston Takes The Chariot s Reins Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on March 19 2016 Retrieved March 17 2016 a b Elizabeth Kolbert July 31 2016 Morgan Freeman s Ben Hur The New Yorker Archived from the original on August 4 2016 Retrieved August 5 2016 a b Fleming Mike Jr Homeland s Nazanin Boniadi Wins Ben Hur Female Lead Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on December 3 2014 Retrieved December 3 2014 Borys Kit and Rebecca Ford October 15 2014 Gal Gadot Circling Female Lead in Ben Hur The Hollywood Reporter Archived from the original on July 4 2016 Retrieved March 16 2016 Mike Fleming Jr December 2 2014 Homeland s Nazanin Boniadi Wins Ben Hur Female Lead Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on March 25 2016 Retrieved March 16 2016 a b Kit Borys January 13 2015 Rodrigo Santoro to Play Jesus Christ in MGM s Ben Hur Remake The Hollywood Reporter Archived from the original on January 18 2015 Retrieved January 14 2015 Mike Fleming Jr January 14 2013 Sweet Chariot MGM is Rebooting Ben Hur Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on March 16 2016 Retrieved March 15 2016 Tatiana Siegel March 16 2016 Why Religious Movies Are Luring Mainstream Stars The Hollywood Reporter Archived from the original on March 16 2016 Retrieved March 16 2016 Press release April 18 2015 Pope Francis blesses actor playing Jesus in Ben Hur film Christian Today Archived from the original on March 15 2016 Retrieved March 15 2016 Ben Hur s Jesus Blessed By Pope Francis in 2015 The Hollywood Reporter April 15 2015 Archived from the original on March 27 2016 Retrieved March 17 2016 a b Yamato Jen Sofia Black D Elia Lands Ben Hur Role Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on February 1 2015 Retrieved January 13 2015 a b Ford Rebecca Kit Borys Man of Steel Actress in Talks for Ben Hur The Hollywood Reporter Archived from the original on November 14 2014 Retrieved November 12 2014 a b Yamato Jen January 20 2015 Ben Hur Adds Moises Arias Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on February 4 2015 Retrieved February 3 2015 Jen Yamato January 20 2015 Ben Hur Adds Moises Arias Luna Blaise Joins James Franco s Memoria Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on March 7 2016 Retrieved March 16 2016 a b Ge Linda Sneider Jeff January 21 2015 Lucy Star Pilou Asbaek to Play Pontius Pilate in Ben Hur thewrap com Archived from the original on February 3 2015 Retrieved February 3 2015 Jen Yamato November 4 2014 Asian Pop Star Jay Chou Cast In Now You 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original on January 17 2015 Retrieved January 13 2015 Ben Hur Italy s Matera the film location of choice theaustralian com au November 27 2015 Retrieved January 13 2015 Hollywood on the Tiber 2 The return of Cinecitta swide com December 3 2014 Archived from the original on January 9 2015 Retrieved January 13 2015 a b Alicia Rancilio February 10 2016 Jack Huston The Ben Hur remake was an epic undertaking Yahoo Movies Archived from the original on March 21 2016 Retrieved March 16 2016 a b Peter T Chattaway April 2 2015 Ben Hur begins its four month shoot at Cinecitta Studios Patheos Archived from the original on March 16 2016 Retrieved March 15 2016 Nancy Tartaglione April 1 2015 BAFTA Breakthrough Brits Opened Up Ben Hur Races To Cinecitta Global Briefs Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on March 29 2016 Retrieved March 15 2016 Ryan Lattanzio April 1 2015 MGM s Ben Hur Starts Shooting at Rome s Storied Cinecitta Studios Indiewire Archived from the original on March 16 2016 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2016 Retrieved August 20 2016 Scott Mendelson Weekend Box Office Ben Hur Bombs War Dogs And Kubo Open Soft Forbes Archived from the original on August 22 2016 Retrieved August 21 2016 Bryan Alexander August 22 2016 Ben Hur box office took an even worse turn Monday USA Today Archived from the original on August 23 2016 Retrieved August 23 2016 Brad Brevet August 21 2016 Suicide Squad Threepeats at 1 While Ben Hur Becomes Latest Big Budget Flop Box Office Mojo Archived from the original on August 24 2016 Retrieved August 22 2016 Paul Bond August 20 2016 Glenn Beck Raves About Ben Hur as Critics Jeer The Hollywood Reporter Archived from the original on August 21 2016 Retrieved August 21 2016 Owen Gleiberman August 20 2016 A Lesson of the Ben Hur Debacle Movie Stars Still Matter Variety Archived from the original on August 21 2016 Retrieved August 20 2016 Brooks Barnes August 21 2016 Ben Hur Is Latest Flop for Paramount The New York Times Retrieved August 22 2016 Devan Coggan Ben Hur and 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August 24 2016 a b c Nancy Tartaglione August 28 2016 Intl Box Office Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on August 29 2016 Retrieved August 29 2016 a b Nancy Tartaglione September 4 2016 International Box Office Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on September 5 2016 Retrieved September 5 2016 Anita Busch September 11 2016 Warner Bros Weekend Trifecta With Mil Jeong Sully And Suicide Squad Int l Box Office Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on September 12 2016 Retrieved September 12 2016 Charles Gant September 13 2016 Don t Breathe spooks Ben Hur s horses at the UK box office The Guardian Archived from the original on September 14 2016 Retrieved September 14 2016 Nancy Tartaglione September 18 2016 Bridget Jones s Baby Bows To 30M Suicide Squad Powers Past 400M Intl Box Office Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on September 19 2016 Retrieved September 19 2016 Sonia Kil September 18 2016 Korea Box Office Shadows Holds Holiday Weekend Variety Archived from the original on September 19 2016 Retrieved September 19 2016 a b Nancy Tartaglione September 25 2016 Bridget Jones s Baby Tops Overseas Again As Magnificent 7 Corrals 19 2M amp Storks Bundles 18 3M Intl Box Office Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on September 26 2016 Retrieved September 26 2016 Sonia Kil September 25 2016 Korea Box Office Shadows Holds Off Ben Hur Magnificent Seven Variety Archived from the original on September 27 2016 Retrieved September 26 2016 Nancy Tartaglione October 2 2016 Miss Peregrine Books 36 5M Finding Dory Bridget Jones Reach Milestones Big Frame For Local Pics Intl Box Office Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on October 3 2016 Retrieved October 3 2016 Patrick Frater October 16 2016 China Box Office Operation Mekong Stays Ahead of The BFG Variety Archived from the original on October 18 2016 Retrieved October 17 2016 Ben Hur 2016 Release Info www imdb com IMDb Archived from the original on November 30 2016 Retrieved February 4 2017 Ben Hur 2016 Rotten Tomatoes Fandango Archived from the original on December 11 2016 Retrieved December 12 2016 Ben Hur Reviews Metacritic CBS Interactive Archived from the original on August 30 2016 Retrieved August 26 2016 CinemaScore cinemascore com Archived from the original on September 16 2017 Vishnevetsky Ignatiy August 18 2016 The new Ben Hur gets better and bolder as it races to the finish line The A V Club Archived from the original on August 19 2016 Retrieved August 18 2016 Collura Scott August 18 2016 Ben Hur Review Chariots of tired IGN Archived from the original on September 11 2016 Retrieved September 9 2016 Holden Stephen August 18 2016 Review Ben Hur Is a Savage Update for a New Generation The New York Times Archived from the original on August 18 2016 Retrieved August 19 2016 Roeper Richard August 18 2016 Ben Hur Chariots of mire zooming in too many directions Chicago Sun Times Archived from the original on August 19 2016 Retrieved August 19 2016 McCarthy Todd August 18 2016 Ben Hur Film Review The Hollywood Reporter Archived from the original on September 10 2016 Retrieved September 8 2016 Ben Hur Review A Remake Disaster of Biblical Proportions Rolling Stone August 19 2016 Archived from the original on August 21 2017 Retrieved August 24 2017 Pile Jonathan September 4 2016 Ben Hur Review Empireonline Archived from the original on November 30 2016 Retrieved December 30 2016 Pacatte Rose August 17 2016 Ben Hur Judah s redemption path National Catholic Reporter archived from the original on August 18 2016 retrieved August 18 2016 Gardner Eriq February 7 2018 How MGM s Ben Hur Evolved Into a Pending Fight Before the National Labor Relations Board The Hollywood Reporter Archived from the original on September 28 2018 Retrieved September 27 2018 American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada v Paramount Pictures Corp No 16 55996 9th Cir 2018 Justia com September 10 2018 Archived from the original on September 28 2018 Retrieved September 27 2018 External links Edit Wikiquote has quotations related to Ben Hur United States portal Italy portal Film portal 2010s portal Ancient Rome portal Religion portalOfficial website Ben Hur at IMDb Ben Hur at Box Office Mojo Ben Hur at Rotten Tomatoes Ben Hur at Metacritic Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ben Hur 2016 film amp oldid 1129704247, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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