Gal Gadot is in early negotiations for the female lead role in “Ben-Hur,” Paramount and MGM’s retelling of the classic sword-and-sandals epic. If the deal is made, Gadot will play Esther, a slave with whom Ben-Hur is in love.
Jack Huston is starring as the Jewish prince while Timur Bekmambetov is directing the movie, which is both a remake of the Charlton Heston-starring 1959 movie (which won 11 Oscars) and an adaptation of the Lew Wallace novel “Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ,” published in 1880.
The film will shoot in Europe early next year and is eyeing a February 2016 release date.
Gadot, who appeared in the Fast & Furious franchise before nabbing the role of Wonder Woman in the upcoming “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” will also get to lead her own Wonder Woman spin-off movie. Warner Bros announced plans for a Wonder Woman film for 2017.
