[Edmond-Dantès]

What a difference $2 billion in late fall box office business has done for MGM‘s ambitions. The studio is planning to unleash a new version of Ben-Hur, based on the 1880 Lew Wallace novel Ben-Hur: A Tale Of The Christ, which outsold every book but The Bible until it was eclipsed by Gone With The Wind.

MGM, which emerged from bankruptcy and is raising new funding after Skyfall crossed $1 billion worldwide gross and The Hobbit heads to the $900 million mark, is buying a Ben-Hur spec by Keith Clarke (he scripted the Peter Weir-directed The Way Back), and the package comes with Sean Daniel and Joni Levin attached to produce, and Clarke and Jason Brown exec producing.

http://www.deadline.com/2013/01/new-...wallace-novel/

The Chariot race is still one of the greatest spectacles in cinema.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huBZIFEfK4U

[Lady Spice]

No. No. No.No. NOOOOOooooooo!!!!!!

Why? Why would they do this? Why do they feel the need to try and improve on perfection?

Ben Hur (like Gone With The Wind) is one of the classics that doesn't need a makeover. It was incredible the first time round, and considering the absence of CGI, or any kind of modern SFX, could not have been done any better, and so should be left as is.

When I first saw a trailer for "Gladiator," before I realised what was being advertised, I thought they were leading up to saying that it was a re-make of "Spartacus," and I was ready to freak out about it, because that's another one of that genre that should never be re-done.

Amonst my collection, there are some films that were made over 40 years ago. Spartacus, Ben Hur, Gone With The Wind, The Great Escape, Rebecca, Casablanca, Some Like It Hot, It's a Wonderful Life. The last 4 of these were in black and white but I still don't think they could do them any better today.

Leave Ben Hur alone. Do they really think they could make it again and improve on the 11 Oscars that it won? It was the most won by any film until Titanic. How could anybody possibly top that?

[intruder2k]

Originally Posted by Lady Spice

Leave Ben Hur alone. Do they really think they could make it again and improve on the 11 Oscars that it won? It was the most won by any film until Titanic. How could anybody possibly top that?

Making a new version won't affect the standing or quality of the original in any way.

In fact, the 1959 film is merely one of 5 adaptations already made. There were also two silent versions (one short, one feature length), an animation and a recent miniseries (which was quite good, I thought).

[dee123]

Why???

[Lady Spice]

Originally Posted by intruder2k

Making a new version won't affect the standing or quality of the original in any way.

In fact, the 1959 film is merely one of 5 adaptations already made. There were also two silent versions (one short, one feature length), an animation and a recent miniseries (which was quite good, I thought).

I guess I feel that a new version of anything should only ever be done if the original could have been done better. I don't think it could, in this case. "Titanic" is a perfect case in point. It too had been done many times previously, but now, after James Cameron's superb effort, I don't anyone will ever be able to come close to what he achieved. Look at Julian Fellows dreadful attempt - which I realise was only for the small screen and didn't have anything like the budget that the film did, but all the same, you can't help wondering why anyone would even attempt another telling of the story (even for the centenary) when it had already been done so perfectly on film. Why not just show the film as a commemoration of the event?

It's different if it's an entirely new take on something, like the Batman (Dark Knight) re-boot, which in my opinion was a far superior trilogy to Tim Burton's vision. I'm really looking forward to seeing what they do with "Man of Steel," even though I loved the original Superman. But my understanding is that it will be a completely different take on the story, in the same vein as Dark Knight was, so I'm OK with that.

But what could they do with Ben Hur? Could the story be told any differently? I guess we'll have to wait and see.

[lordOfTime]

Originally Posted by dee123

Why???

Why not?

Ben-Hur, Spartacus... are classics of their age. But they are different times. Why not bring them to a new generation?

[mike65]

CGI hell awaits.

[Bungitin]

A remake would not have Cecil B. Demille's forthright 'holier than thou' atmosphere about it.

[stud u like]

They have already remade "Ben Hur". I have the DVD with Joseph Morgan.

[intruder2k]

Originally Posted by Lady Spice

I guess I feel that a new version of anything should only ever be done if the original could have been done better. I don't think it could, in this case. "Titanic" is a perfect case in point. It too had been done many times previously, but now, after James Cameron's superb effort, I don't anyone will ever be able to come close to what he achieved. Look at Julian Fellows dreadful attempt - which I realise was only for the small screen and didn't have anything like the budget that the film did, but all the same, you can't help wondering why anyone would even attempt another telling of the story (even for the centenary) when it had already been done so perfectly on film. Why not just show the film as a commemoration of the event?

Horses for courses - personally I think that Cameron's bloated love story (with tacked-on disaster) is far from the definitive Titanic story. 1958's A Night to Remember, which really gets to the nitty gritty of what happened, is much better.

So here's hoping for a decent new Ben Hur - it'll be one I look forward to over The Hangover Part 3 or Fast & Furious 6, for instance...

Although I agree that Julian Fellowes' Titanic was pretty poor

[James2001]

The 1959 version's a remake anyway!

[SilverCrown]

My dad puts Ben-Hur on whenever it's on the TV. He loves that movie.

I must admit, so do I.

[Finny Skeleta]

Originally Posted by lordOfTime

Why not?

Ben-Hur, Spartacus... are classics of their age. But they are different times. Why not bring them to a new generation?

Yes, because what those films really need are a sulky, moody, boyish-looking male lead with fantastic hair coupled with a pop star female lead who doesn't actually know how to act. We could have that grey, washed-out colour palette that they use to hide the fact that every scene is crammed full of unnecessary CGI and we'd have lots of shots of the camera emerging from a door, window or tunnel to reveal the "spectacular" CGI sets that actually look less immersive than an old matte painting (despite the inclusion of a badly animated flock of birds flying into the shot. "See, you couldn't do that with a matte, could you?")

Of course, the whole thing would be filmed in wonderful Gimmick-o-Vision® (aka 3D) so during the chariot race scene it would feel like we are actually there, in a video game, having endless ragdolls being flung from chariots, out of the screen and into our popcorn.

Not to mention the fact that the old versions of Ben Hur and Spartacus both top three hours in length and since everything is bigger and better now then we should get at least a trilogy out of each of them. Then, when that moneypit has dried up they can just be immediately rebooted and start the whole thing again.

I can't wait.

[Johnny Clay]

Problem: the iconic nature of roles like Ben Hur and Spartacus came from the actors portraying them (Chuck, Kirk) as much as the character. Maybe more so.

So it's going to have to be a pretty big marquee name to fill Chuck's shoes, isn't it? A rather tall order.

They'll probably get Tom Cruise

[Bluray]

Originally Posted by Finny Skeleta

Yes, because what those films really need are a sulky, moody, boyish-looking male lead with fantastic hair coupled with a pop star female lead who doesn't actually know how to act. We could have that grey, washed-out colour palette that they use to hide the fact that ever scene is crammed full of unnecessary CGI and we'd have lots of shots of the camera emerging from a door, window or tunnel to reveal the "spectacular" CGI sets that actually look less immersive than an old matte painting (despite the inclusion of a badly animated flock of birds flying into the shot. "See, you couldn't do that with a matte, could you?")

Of course, the whole thing would be filmed in wonderful Gimmick-o-Vision® (aka 3D) so during the chariot race scene it would feel like we are actually there, in a video game, having endless ragdolls being flung from chariots, out of the screen and into our popcorn.

Not to mention the fact that the old versions of Ben Hur and Spartacus both top three hours in length and since everything is bigger and better now then we should get at least a trilogy out of each of them. Then, when that moneypit has dried up they can just be immediately rebooted and start the whole thing again.

I can't wait.

Brilliant post

[Bungitin]

Russell Crowe with his trademark multi-compound variable accent.

[RecordPlayer]

^ As long as he doesn't sing

[stud u like]

Originally Posted by RecordPlayer

^ As long as he doesn't sing

I didn't have a problem with his singing.

[RecordPlayer]

Originally Posted by stud u like

I didn't have a problem with his singing.

Then you're lucky.

He was off key and singing flat when I was listening to him. Anyway, I doubt Ben-Hur will be a musical....

[RedSnapper]

I am 100% it will be better than the original






not

[mike65]

Originally Posted by Finny Skeleta

Yes, because what those films really need are a sulky, moody, boyish-looking male lead with fantastic hair coupled with a pop star female lead who doesn't actually know how to act. We could have that grey, washed-out colour palette that they use to hide the fact that every scene is crammed full of unnecessary CGI and we'd have lots of shots of the camera emerging from a door, window or tunnel to reveal the "spectacular" CGI sets that actually look less immersive than an old matte painting (despite the inclusion of a badly animated flock of birds flying into the shot. "See, you couldn't do that with a matte, could you?")

Of course, the whole thing would be filmed in wonderful Gimmick-o-Vision® (aka 3D) so during the chariot race scene it would feel like we are actually there, in a video game, having endless ragdolls being flung from chariots, out of the screen and into our popcorn.

Not to mention the fact that the old versions of Ben Hur and Spartacus both top three hours in length and since everything is bigger and better now then we should get at least a trilogy out of each of them. Then, when that moneypit has dried up they can just be immediately rebooted and start the whole thing again.

I can't wait.

+1 to that! Clearly a poster after my own heart. The highlighted part is something I'd been wondering about, is the yucky pale look really a technical trick to help integrate CGi?

[James2001]

Originally Posted by RedSnapper

I am 100% it will be better than the original






not

By "original", do you mean the 1907 silent film version?

[RecordPlayer]

Originally Posted by Finny Skeleta

Yes, because what those films really need are a sulky, moody, boyish-looking male lead with fantastic hair coupled with a pop star female lead who doesn't actually know how to act. We could have that grey, washed-out colour palette that they use to hide the fact that every scene is crammed full of unnecessary CGI and we'd have lots of shots of the camera emerging from a door, window or tunnel to reveal the "spectacular" CGI sets that actually look less immersive than an old matte painting (despite the inclusion of a badly animated flock of birds flying into the shot. "See, you couldn't do that with a matte, could you?")

Of course, the whole thing would be filmed in wonderful Gimmick-o-Vision® (aka 3D) so during the chariot race scene it would feel like we are actually there, in a video game, having endless ragdolls being flung from chariots, out of the screen and into our popcorn.

Not to mention the fact that the old versions of Ben Hur and Spartacus both top three hours in length and since everything is bigger and better now then we should get at least a trilogy out of each of them. Then, when that moneypit has dried up they can just be immediately rebooted and start the whole thing again.

I can't wait.

Very funny post...and true, of course.

Since you mentioned ragdolls, I remember seeing these been thrown about in the arena in the film Quo Vadis.

[Finny Skeleta]

Originally Posted by mike65

+1 to that! Clearly a poster after my own heart. The highlighted part is something I'd been wondering about, is the yucky pale look really a technical trick to help integrate CGi?

No, it's just that it's edgy and cool and moody and contemporary but most importantly it's really, really realistic. That's the key goal of 21st Century cinema isn't it? Everything looking really realistic?*

(*Actual realism may be up to 100% less realistic than real life.)

[Lady Spice]

Originally Posted by Finny Skeleta

Yes, because what those films really need are a sulky, moody, boyish-looking male lead with fantastic hair coupled with a pop star female lead who doesn't actually know how to act. We could have that grey, washed-out colour palette that they use to hide the fact that every scene is crammed full of unnecessary CGI and we'd have lots of shots of the camera emerging from a door, window or tunnel to reveal the "spectacular" CGI sets that actually look less immersive than an old matte painting (despite the inclusion of a badly animated flock of birds flying into the shot. "See, you couldn't do that with a matte, could you?")

Of course, the whole thing would be filmed in wonderful Gimmick-o-Vision® (aka 3D) so during the chariot race scene it would feel like we are actually there, in a video game, having endless ragdolls being flung from chariots, out of the screen and into our popcorn.

Not to mention the fact that the old versions of Ben Hur and Spartacus both top three hours in length and since everything is bigger and better now then we should get at least a trilogy out of each of them. Then, when that moneypit has dried up they can just be immediately rebooted and start the whole thing again.

I can't wait.

^^^^^ This. Perfect summation of how I feel