3/27/2009

John Winn

Over 50 years after Charleston Heston appeared in the epic, the chariots are back again and this time, Ben-Hur will get his welcome on basic cable.

According to *Daily Variety*, the Disney-owned network is set to premiere a remake of the classic film.  
  
Although it is unknown how faithful the miniseries remake will be to the Heston film, the four-hour epic will be produced by Alchemy Television Group and Spain's Drimtim Entertainment.  
  
David Wyler, son of William Wyler who directed the Oscar-winning film, will produce the series. Alchemy's Simon Vaughan and Drimtim's Roger Corbi will assist. A script is already in the works, and film partners are already shopping the project to other territories. In addition to ABC, the $22.5 million project has attracted other partners, including Canada's Muse Entertainment and the CBC.  
  
Cast is unknown, as well as the air date of the film.  
  
This will be the fifth time the Lew Wallace epic has been adapted for film. The most recent film, an animated feature voiced by Heston, premiered in 2003.