12 Upcoming Movies That Are Destined To Be Divisive

10. Ben-Hur

The William Wyler directed biblical epic Ben-Hur, released in 1959 and starring Charlton Heston, made Academy Award history when it scooped a total of 11 Oscars – a feat since matched only by James Cameron’s Titanic and Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

Some might say it’s blasphemy to remake such a classic, but that’s exactly what Timur Bekmambetov has done with his upcoming film starring Jack Huston in the titular role joined by Morgan Freeman as Sheik Ilderim and Toby Kebbel as his traitorous childhood friend Messala.

On the upside with Bekmambetov behind the project, who also directed the well-received urban vampire fantasy flick Night Watch and its sequel Day Watch, and the chance to see Ben-Hur’s legendary chariot race in 3D the film could well be an enjoyable revisiting of the classic.

Nonetheless, certain differences from the original – notably giving Jesus (played by Brazilian actor Rodrigo Santoro) a more prominent role and toning down the homoerotic undertones of the relationship between Ben-Hur and Messala, a much talked about aspect of the original film that caused a spat between Heston and co-screenwriter Gore Vidal – may not sit well with viewers.