10 Movie Remakes Nobody Expected Or Wanted
2. Ben-Hur (2016)
It's unlikely that there was anyone in the early 2010s who heard “they’re remaking Ben-Hur” and thought it was a good idea. The 1959 swords-and-sandals epic was the second highest-grossing film of all time when it released, has been seen by millions on TV in the years since, and with 11 Oscars shares the record for most Academy Awards wins over 60 years later.
Granted, the 1959 version was itself a remake, but considering 1925’s Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ was a black-and-white silent film, it was really more of an adaptation than anything else. The 2016 version did not have that benefit. Nothing short of the greatest film of all time could avoid being a disappointment when compared to the originals.
The result was rather predictable. Hardly anyone went to see it, and those who did had few positive things to say about it.