Gal Gadot’s commitment to Wonder Woman has forced her to pass on Timur Bekmambetov‘s remake of “Ben-Hur,” which is being mounted by Paramount and MGM, TheWrap has learned.
Neither studio immediately responded to a request for comment.
Jack Huston stars in “Ben-Hur” as the titular Jewish prince who is forced into slavery by his former friend Messala, who will be played by Toby Kebbell. Morgan Freeman co-stars in the film, which will employ today’s cutting-edge technology to reimagine the original film’s classic chariot race.
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Two weeks ago, Gadot was reported to be in negotiations for the female lead of Esther, Ben-Hur’s true love. Those negotiations have ended and Gadot has passed on the project due to a scheduling conflict stemming from her commitment to WB’s “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” and all that playing Wonder Woman entails, an individual close to the actress told TheWrap.
Keith Clarke and John Ridley wrote the script, which is based on Lew Wallace’s 1880 novel “Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ.”
Mark Burnett is producing with Sean Daniel and Joni Levin, while Roma Downey is executive producing with Clarke, Ridley and Jason Brown. Production will begin early next year in Europe in advance of a February 2016 release.
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While Gadot was able to fit supporting roles in the indie movies “Triple Nine” and “Criminal” into her busy schedule, “Ben-Hur” is a much longer shoot that Gadot couldn’t accommodate. She’ll remain focused on Wonder Woman, who is getting her own solo movie in 2017 — the same year the beloved character will appear in Zack Snyder‘s “Justice League: Part One.”
Gadot is repped by ICM Partners, Untitled Entertainment, Israel’s ADD Agency and Felker Toczek.