There is still some months left before the August 26 release of Paramount Film's remake of the 1959 classic 'Ben-Hur' but the studio has finally offered the first full glimpse into the movie by releasing its official trailer.
The film, which centers around the titular character Ben-Hur, a Jewish nobleman from Jerusalem who became a slave after he was betrayed by his own brother because of greed and ambition.
The trailer shows the Ben-Hur's slave ship being attacked in a sea battle, after which he is shown surviving the attack.
The original character played by Oscar winner Charlton Heston, is now played by Jack Huston while his brother Messala is played by Toby Kebbell.
Morgan Freeman on the other hand, takes on the mantle of another prominent character from the first movie – Ilderim, originally played by Hugh Griffith. The character will be instrumental in helping Ben-Hur seek justice for his brother's betrayal by teaching him about chariot races, which is equivalent to the gladiator games during the time setting of the film.
The story basically follows the same plot as the classic Oscar winner, with minor deviations. In the original movie, Ben-hur is betrayed by a friend while this time around, the treachery is committed by his own sibling to secure the empire, reported Yahoo News.
Noticeable in the trailer is its modern approach and scoring that is reminiscent for modern epic tales like "Exodus: Gods and Kings" or "Hercules".
The film is expected to benefit from the unique visual style and approach of director Timur Bekmambetov, who also directed the action movie "Wanted" and "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter."
The original movie won a total of 11 Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor in a Leading Role for Charlton Heston, Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Hugh Griffith, and Best Cinematography.
