It’s just human nature to feel a sense of dread and skepticism when a beloved classic is about to be “remade for modern times.” It’s even more blasphemous when Hollywood decides to remake an “untouchable” film such as Casablanca, E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, or Back to the Future. One of those films considered by many to be an “untouchable” is the 1959 classic Ben-Hur, starring Charlton Heston. The film won 11 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Director. Those are some big sandals to fill but that hasn’t stopped MGM, Nora Downey (“A.D. The Bible Continues”) and Mark Burnett (NBC’s “The Voice”) from attempting the impossible and adapting Ben-Hur for modern audiences.
We got to sit down with Nora Downey and Mark Burnett and asked the duo the burning questions such as…
When asked if there second thoughts going through their mind when remaking Ben-Hur, Nora Downey said:
“I think initially we had a little bit of a freakout. Perhaps the only thing that might have been more frightening would be to undertake a remake of Gone with the Wind, but it all begins with the script. Gary Barber from MGM who had invited us to join the producing team said, ‘go home, read the script and make a decision once you have.’ We read the script written by John Ridley (12 Years a Slave). The story was extraordinary, a real page turner, character driven, and incredibly emotional. Then we asked our [three] kids, and we said we’re thinking about [remaking] Ben-Hur and their response was Ben-who? I think that was sort of validating and we realize that there was a whole generation that actually doesn’t know [Ben-Hur], that hasn’t seen the ’59 version of this film and won’t. It’s too long and a different editing style and much has changed in the world since that film was made and much has changed in cinema since the time that film was made.”
But to those who has seen the Charlton Heston version, Burnett and Downey were asked what they would like to say to those people that questioned why a remake should be made, Burnett said:
“Like we said, there’s a much bigger volume of people who have never seen it. It was probably the same [reaction] when it was remade in ’59. People whose moms, the ones who saw the ’20s version, asked ‘why would you remake this?’”
“‘You’re going to remake it with words? But you’ll ruin it!’ [laughs] Because [the 20s version] was a silent film,” Nora Downey quipped.
When asked why the timing was right to remake Ben-Hur, Downey said:
“Well, I think that with the themes that run through this film of forgiveness and reconciliation as opposed to the 59 version of this film that really had an emphasis on vengeance, the story of revenge. I think this new way of looking at it, feels relevant for the times that were living in. It’s such a dangerous, fearful, chaotic world [that] I think we need stories like this now more than ever.”
“Right now, here we are, it’s 55 years since the last version of the movie,” Mark Burnett added. “It’s an action movie, it’s entertaining, it could be a fanboy movie, it’s like all the things in a summer blockbuster. But very few of those kinds of movies have reconciliation and forgiveness by the protagonist and antagonist at the end of the movie. There’s something really important about that.”
When asked what they hope people will take away from the film, Downey said:
“I think as filmmakers we have the potential to reach so many people with film, TV, and media. It’s just a great way to communicate something to the whole world. Right now the world is hurting and there is such confusion. Our hope would be that while you leave the theater full of popcorn and full of the excitement that this movie has satiated, that [there’s a] deeper meaning will resonate and that people will engage in places of healing and help promote healing.”
Mark Burnett added, “who knows what’s going to come up in your life in the next year, five years. Something’s going to happen and you’ll suggest to someone: ‘Maybe the best way is just to figure out and reconcile and forgive them because we do know it’s the right way.’ Maybe the movie has that effect. It’ll be nice when we have a fun, action, blockbuster movie which is there to entertain and actually happens to have some other value proposition below it. Which is all we can really hope for.”
When asked why Jack Huston is the perfect Judah Ben-Hur, Downey said:
“He’s incredible. He is the perfect Judah and those are big “sandals” to fill. To bring somebody in to fill Charlton Heston’s sandals and this is a star-making role for him. He brings a dignity to the princely Judah, he brings a passion to the angry Judah, he brings a sensitivity to the broken Judah, and he brings a heroic resolve to the Judah who closes the movie and rides off into the sunset. He’s a really multi-faceted actor.”
“He [also] knows how to do less when needed,” Mark Burnett added. “The mark of great actors just knows when to do a little less and to let it play around him. Jack just has that sensibility.”
When asked if their next project will be like Ben-Hur, Burnett said:
“I think we’re done with donkeys and sandals [laughs]. That’s 5 in 4 years, we’ve done The Bible, Son of God, A.D. The Bible Continues, The Dovekeepers, and Ben-Hur. Five giant Romans, sandals, deserts, and things in four years. We do have a couple of things which have the same value propositions but contemporary. I think that’s what’s next for us.”
“Yeah, I think one of those things that we’re moving into is NASCAR, believe it or not,” Downey said. “Same themes, I don’t know if human nature necessarily changes that much but we’ll be setting stories in a contemporary way. Instead of riding chariots, they’ll be riding NASCAR cars.”
Ben-Hur races into theaters on August 19th.
from Nerd Reactor
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