Ben-Hur (2016 film)

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Ben-Hur
Ben-Hur riding on a chariot in a stadium, rivaling his brother, with the slogan "Brother Against Brother. Slave Against Empire."
Theatrical release poster
Directed byTimur Bekmambetov
Screenplay by
Based onBen-Hur: A Tale of the Christ
1880 novel
by General Lew Wallace
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyOliver Wood
Edited byDody Dorn
Music byMarco Beltrami
Production
companies
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release dates
  • August 9, 2016 (2016-08-09) (Mexico City)
  • August 19, 2016 (2016-08-19) (United States)
Running time
125 minutes
Countries
  • United States
  • Italy[1]
LanguageEnglish
Budget$100 million[2]
Box office$94.1 million[3]

Ben-Hur is a 2016

Matera, Italy
and lasted about five months, finishing in June 2015.

Ben-Hur premiered on August 9, 2016, in Mexico City and was theatrically released by Paramount Pictures on August 19, 2016 in the United States.[6] It received generally negative reviews and was a box office failure, grossing $94 million worldwide against its $100 million production budget plus a large amount spent on marketing and distribution.[7][8]

Plot

Jewish prince

Zealots
, Jews opposed to Roman rule. Ben-Hur begrudgingly treats and shelters a young Zealot named Dismas and attempts to dissuade him from the cause. Messala reunites with Ben-Hur and attempts to convince him to serve as an informant - the new governor Pontius Pilate is coming to Jerusalem and Messala does not want any revolt. Judah claims he will talk to the locals.

During Pilate's march, Dismas attempts to assassinate Pilate from Judah's balcony. The Romans storm Ben-Hur's household and arrest him and his family. Rather than betray Dismas, Ben-Hur takes responsibility for the assassination attempt and his mother and sister are sentenced to crucifixion. While being led to the prison galley, Ben-Hur encounters

Sheik Ilderim
, who recognizes him as an escaped slave. Ben-Hur manages to convince Ilderim not to hand him over to the Romans by treating one of Ilderim's racing horses. After Ben-Hur develops a bond with the four racing horses, a grateful Ilderim then trains Ben-Hur to be a chariot racer.

Ben-Hur and Ilderim travel to Jerusalem to take part in a chariot race. Jesus' preaching ministry draws the attention of governor Pilate and Messala, who is now the commander of the Roman garrison and a champion chariot racer. While visiting Jerusalem, Ben-Hur encounters Esther, who has become a follower of Jesus and is involved in charity work. Esther tells Ben-Hur that his mother and sister are dead, and despite their reunion, the two are kept emotionally apart due to her new cause, which is contrary to his insistence on seeking revenge against Messala.

Ben-Hur confronts Messala alone in their former home but is forced to flee when Roman soldiers turn up. After the Romans execute twenty Jews in reprisal, Esther completely falls out with Ben-Hur. Just before the race, Ben-Hur encounters a former Roman soldier named Druses, who informs him that his mother Naomi and sister Tirzah are still alive. However, their reunion is soured when Ben-Hur discovers his mother and sister have leprosy, and Ben-Hur is enraged at their condition.

Ilderim convinces Pilate to allow Ben-Hur to compete by proposing a high wager against Messala. Esther tries to convince Messala not to race Ben-Hur, but he is adamant that he will win. On the day of the race, Ben-Hur follows Ilderim's instructions to hold back from the race until the final laps. Using dirty tactics, Messala manages to knock out the other charioteers. After Messala attempts to destroy Ben-Hur's chariot, their chariots become stuck. When Messala tries to kick Ben-Hur from his chariot, his chariot breaks loose and he is trampled. Judah wins, the Jewish spectators begin attacking the Romans and Judah is carried away.

Despite his victory, Ben-Hur is despondent about his family and Messala's fate. Esther is with Jesus in the

Garden of Gethsemane
; later she and Ben-Hur witness Jesus bearing the cross. Mirroring his first encounter with Jesus, Ben-Hur tries to offer Jesus water but is beaten by a Roman soldier. Esther and Judah witness Jesus' death on the cross, Naomi and Tirzah are miraculously healed and Ilderim pays a ransom to set them free. Ben-Hur seeks out an injured Messala who initially swears to continue hunting Judah. After experiencing Judah's kindness and forgiveness, Messala relents and they reconcile. Judah and Messala return to his family who all leave Jerusalem with Ilderim.

Cast

Sheik Ilderim
.
A Jewish prince in
Jesus Christ.[9][10][11] Charlton Heston's daughter-in-law is a friend of Huston's family, and he met Charlton a few times before he died. "I remember being very struck by the film when I was younger," Huston has said. The leper scene, especially, stuck in his mind. He re-watched the 1959 film prepping for this version.[12][13] He was initially offered the role of Messala, but director Bekmambetov decided instead he had the sympathetic manner and grit to play the title role.[14] Bekmambetov found Huston to be an actor who not only was a "well-built, experienced horseman" but one who "felt like he was born in that era." He said, "I wouldn't be surprised if some of Jack's many famous ancestors took part in an actual fight between Romans and Judaeans we depict in our film."[9] Tom Hiddleston was originally considered for the role.[15]
Huston was well aware of the comparisons being made between him and Heston, saying: "Of course there are going to be haters, that's par for the course when you're retelling such an infamous tale. It's like Kenneth Branagh going to do Romeo and Juliet again for, like, the 50th time. [But] I think one of the greatest compliments one could ever be giving to [author] Lew Wallace is that we're still reimagining his work more than 120 years later, because it's so powerful."[16]
An officer in the Roman army, and Ben-Hur's childhood friend and adoptive brother, who betrays him.[9][10][17]
  • Sheik Ilderim
    :
A wealthy Nubian sheik who trains Ben-Hur to become a charioteer to take revenge on his brother, Messala.[10] Unlike Wyler's version, who was a secondary character, and an essentially comic one, there is no humor in this version. Moreover, Ilderim "has quite a bit of power in the story. And I like playing power. It's something about my own personal ego", Freeman said.[18] Freeman is part of the international cast in the film. Producer Daniel spoke about that, saying: "the movie business was never as global as it is today, so it makes sense from a creative and commercial point of view to do this movie for the whole world."[12]
  • Esther
    :
A Jewish slave and the wife of Ben-Hur.[10][19] Boniadi was very pleased by the fact that the women's roles in the film were expanded, unlike the previous versions. She described her character as "very strong-willed and independent", which to her was very refreshing, given the era that this film is set in. She added, "compared to the 1959 film, Esther definitely has more of a presence, she's definitely a stronger woman and a stronger character".[12][20][21]
Unlike the original film, Christ has a prominent role in this version.[11][22][23] Paramount Pictures' vice chairman Rob Moore stated that Christ in this version "is going to be consistent with people's expectations," and that the "expectations of the faithful will be honored by this one." This was because Paramount wants to avoid the sort of backlash received by Darren Aronofsky's Noah, because some Christians were dismayed by the film's inventive interpretation of the Bible.[5][24] Santoro said it was the most challenging role he had ever taken on.[18] He received personal blessings from Pope Francis for his role as Christ.[25][26]
Ben-Hur's sister.[10][27]
Ben-Hur's mother.[10][28]
A loyal Jewish servant to Ithamar, Judah's birth father; becomes a wealthy merchant in Antioch.
  • Dismas
    :
A teenage Jewish
zealot whose family has been murdered by the Romans and is desperate to fight for his people's freedom; he is later crucified beside Jesus.[10][29][30]
The Roman governor of Judea who oversees the chariot race.[10][31]
A Roman captain who is involved with the betrayal by Messala that sends Ben-Hur on his path to redemption.[32]
The Roman admiral of the trireme that Ben-Hur was enslaved on as a rower.[33]

Production

Development

Timur Bekmambetov directed the film.

In 2013, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquired Keith R. Clarke's script, an adaptation of Lew Wallace's 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, which is in the public domain.[34]

In April 2014,

James Bond film, Skyfall, and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, which both went to gross over $1 billion at the box office worldwide, including above $300 million in the United States and Canada, while Paramount were doing well at the time with the biblical tale Noah.[35][36] John Ridley (12 Years a Slave) was hired to revise the script, with Sean Daniel, Burnett and Joni Levin attached to produce, and Downey, Clarke, and Jason Brown executive producing.[34][35] Duncan Henderson was later attached to produce, with John Ridley also executive producing.[10] It was announced that the new film would differ from the 1959 version, and deal with the formative relationships of Ben-Hur and Messala growing up as best friends, before the Roman Empire took control of Jerusalem, and that Christ would have a prominent role.[35]

This movie is about the Roman Empire, how seductive and glamorous and dangerous its ideas are—it's about power and competition. And we live in this world. We live in the Roman Empire today—and this movie is trying to find a way how we can survive today. It's not a movie about Jesus' time, it's a movie about us.

—Director Timur Bekmambetov explaining the version of the film.[13]

In September 2013, Timur Bekmambetov was hired to direct the film.[37] Bekmambetov was initially reluctant to direct and did not wish to tackle a film whose predecessor had so much impact. After producer Sean Daniel persuaded him to read the script, he accepted it,[38] saying "I read the script. And suddenly I understood this story is not what I expected. It's not a remake, it's an interpretation of the famous book."[13] He stated the story of Ben-Hur reminded him of Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and Anton Chekhov's work.[39] He was fascinated by the 1959 film but found the focus on revenge rather than forgiveness to be the main problem; this was the prime difference between the book and the 1959 movie: the book was written about forgiveness, and the movie was about revenge and miracles. Hence, he wanted to stress the themes of forgiveness and love rather than mere vengeance. He found "the most important values of pride, rivalry, power, strength, the dictatorship of power and self-love" that were prominent in the Roman Empire to be the primary subjects in this version.[40][39] He said that the film is not just the story of Ben-Hur, but rather the shared story of him and his brother, Messala.[4] Bekmambetov was aware of the comparisons being made with the earlier classical adapted films, and hence felt the need to make the film very different from the others. As a result, he decided to make a realistic drama film rather than a large tent-pole attraction.[4] The director did not set out to make a more stylized version of the past, as he did with Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter; he wanted to make a film that was more grounded and tangible.[41]

Producer Mark Burnett stated that films like Ben-Hur, which are centered on faith and the messages of Jesus Christ, need to feel like epic summer blockbusters in order to attract younger and secular audiences. He explained that part of what caused the immensity of the budget—$100 million—are the special effects and the 3D experience that young audiences are expecting. MGM financed 80% of the production costs, while the remaining 20% were covered by Paramount.[42]

In June 2015, Rob Moore, the vice chairman of Paramount, explained that this version is not so much a remake of the 1959 film, but a new interpretation of the Lew Wallace novel on which both are based.[5]

It's going to be different in the sense that the original writer Keith Clarke wrote an amazing script and then went back to the Lew Wallace novel and really excavated the relationship between the two main characters, Ben-Hur and Messala. It's interesting to a degree. It's kind of like going after Jimi Hendrix, because there are things about the 1959 movie that we think we remember, there are things that really happened, including obviously the chariot race, so it's going to be different in the sense that we're not really trying to completely chase the movie people remember but there are elements of that movie: the heart of the film, the emotional drive of the film that we want to try to bring to a whole new audience. I think it's an interesting project. It’s certainly challenging. It's certainly one that people are going to come into with expectations, but like anything you do, you gotta exceed those expectations to a degree and also not worry about them because at its core, we hope and believe that we’ve got something that’s unique.

—John Ridley.[43]

John Ridley re-wrote the script based on an original screenplay by Keith Clarke, which itself was based on Lew Wallace's 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ.[44] Ridley admired how Clarke went back to the source material and focused his attention on the subjects of racial slavery and colonization, and the deep relationships between the two friends. He was more drawn to the project since it dealt with themes of faith in a very "potent manner".[44][45] The studio approached him in October 2013, after he wrote the screenplay for 12 Years a Slave, which went on to win an Oscar the following year.[46] The studio wanted him to make "a production polish that deals with just honing the story and making it filmable."[44]

Esther, the slave with whom Ben-Hur is in love.[51] Pedro Pascal from the TV series Game of Thrones was in talks to play Pontius Pilate.[52] On October 30, TheWrap confirmed that Gadot's negotiations with Paramount and MGM had ended, and the actress had withdrawn, reportedly due to scheduling conflicts with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.[53] On November 4, Marwan Kenzari was added to the cast as Druses, a Roman captain.[54] On November 11, Ayelet Zurer was in final negotiations to play Naomi, Judah Ben-Hur's mother[28] (Miriam in the book and the 1959 adaptation). On 13 November, Olivia Cooke was being considered for Tirzah, Ben-Hur's sister.[55] On December 2, Nazanin Boniadi was confirmed as the actress who would play Esther.[19] On January 12, 2015, Sofia Black-D'Elia was cast as Ben-Hur's sister, Tirzah.[27] On January 13, Rodrigo Santoro was announced as Jesus.[22] On January 20, Moisés Arias was added to the cast to play Gestas, a teenage Jewish zealot who is desperate to fight for freedom, after his family has been murdered by the Romans.[29] On January 21, Pilou Asbæk was cast as Pontius Pilate, replacing Pascal for the role.[31]

Principal photography

On February 2, 2015, MGM and Paramount Pictures announced that principal photography had begun and that, like the original film, filming would take place mostly in Italy, specifically in Rome and Matera.[10] The Sassi di Matera in Basilicata and the Cinecittà studios in Rome were also chosen among the film's settings.[56][57] In most instances, CGI were used extensively. However, Bekmambetov wanted to rely more on practical effects and tried to do as little CGI as possible in moments where it was not heavily needed.[41][58]

Producers Roma Downey and Mark Burnett chose Matera as a location for Jerusalem, one of the same locations where Mel Gibson's biblical movie The Passion of the Christ was filmed.[11] Exterior shooting lasted for two months, and finished in early April 2015.[59] Production then moved to Cinecittà Studios, where interior shooting took place for four months, including the chariot scene, among others.[60][61] Around 2,000 extras were used throughout the film.[62]

Painted Canyon in Billings County, North Dakota, served as one of the filming locations for Ben-Hur.

In March 2016, Adam Sidman, an associate of Timur Bekmambetov, sent a request to the Bureau of Land Management's South Coast in

Box Canyon Road, with two horses, several cameras, and a film crew of about 30. His application was rejected, and Sidman thought it was because of the size of the production. He then tried to negotiate again, but to no avail.[63] He then contacted the executive director of the Greater Palm Springs Film Alliance office, Levi Vincent, to look into the matter. To Vincent, it almost seemed like the rejection was based on arbitrary reasons. With the help of local lawmakers, they were able to convinced the BLM to approve the request, but this time with a much-scaled down production of 8 crew members, no horses, and the use of a drone rather than handheld cameras.[63]

Chariot race sequence

The chariot race was originally planned to be filmed at the Circus Maximus arena in Rome, but access was denied due to fear that the stunts would damage the historic site.[64]

The famous chariot race sequence, which runs about 10 minutes, almost exactly the same as in the prior films,

Italian cultural minister, Dario Franceschini, declined to comment.[64] As a result, producers were forced to film the scene at Cinecittà Studios, where much of the 1959 film was also shot.[64] It is not clear whether the filmmakers had planned to use that location for the main chariot race, which is supposed to take place in Antioch, or if they were planning to shoot one of the earlier races that Judah Ben-Hur takes part in while he is still living in Rome.[59] Bekmambetov, however, cited the size of the stadium as too large for shooting as the reason.[12]

The whole race was planned in advance, in several iterations of storyboards and animated previsualization videos.[65] In order to re-create the sequence, producers and horse race track experts built a 1,000-foot-long arena, with a 250 metre long and 50 metre wide track, stands, and gates, called Circus Tiberius, at Cinecittà World, a film-themed amusement park about 45 minutes south of Rome. It was built partly on the back lot of producer Dino De Laurentiis's former studio complex. According to production designer Naomi Shohan, arena designs were compiled from archaeological records of circuses in Roman territories. One-sixth of the arena was physically built and the rest was added to the film by computer graphics. Unique chariots were also built based on original references.[13][65][69] A total of 86 horses were supplied by horse master Steve Dent, with back-up animals, and were trained for several months, to be able to race at 40 miles per hour.[41][65][69] Dent has assembled larger stables for films like Ridley Scott's Robin Hood (2010), but said that "this was more of a worry job."[65] There were 60 handlers for the horses, and 12 horses were put in rotation for every four horse-drawn carriage, so the animals would have a chance to rest.[70] Multiple chariots were made for each character—some with brakes (though the horses are strong enough to overpower the brakes), some with room for a second "blind driver" or 'bonnet-fitted' camera, some with different-sized wheels for filming on the turns instead of the straights, and some to flip over or crash.[13] Massimo Pauletto, an art director on the film who built the chariots, said that his team had to reinvent a forgotten skill, "from the sketches, nobody was understanding how they could become real," and the toughest part was to fit together practical needs and special-effects needs.[13] Problems cropped up day-by-day as the bolts that held the chariots together kept being broken by the horses due to their immense strength, and the bar that attached the horses was bent. As a result, the crew had to learn how to build a new one week after week.[citation needed]

To capture the thunderous feel of the race, the film crew attached microphones to the horses to record the sound of pounding hooves, and

motorbike racing on YouTube. It's either long-lens [close-up] cameras, very professional, or it's iPhone cameras from people in the crowd, cars passing by at the speed of light and they barely have a chance to pan and catch something."[65]

Phil Neilson, who served as the stunt coordinator for the film, had previously worked on many films, including Ridley Scott's Gladiator.[41] Jonathan Stamp, a historian who had consulted on the HBO/BBC series Rome, advised on the film's chariot design. He noted that the chariots in the 1959 film were unrealistically ornate.[65] Filming for this particular scene lasted for 45 days in a span of three months.[12][41] The inspiration for the use of minimal CGI for this sequence came from Hardcore Henry, on which Bekmambetov was a producer.[73] Accidents were done with computer imagery. The two lead actors did much of their own riding, without harm.

Huston and Kebbell were asked if they wanted stunt doubles for their parts, and they declined.[74]

A stuntman was thrown off from his chariot during filming, but suffered only mild injuries.[75] Another stuntman was thrown from a chariot and run over by the wheel of another. He was later hospitalized and treated for bruised ribs.[65] Bekmambetov said the authentic Roman costumes, with leather straps around the charioteer's chest, prevented that injury from being worse—though Daniel noted that every driver wore Kevlar underneath his costume.[65]

Music

Soundtrack

Ben-Hur – Songs Inspired by the Epic Film
Christian pop
Length51:07
LabelWord Entertainment
ProducerVarious Artists
Singles from Ben-Hur – Songs Inspired by the Epic Film
  1. "The Only Way Out"
    Released: 2016

Ben-Hur – Songs Inspired by the Epic Film is the soundtrack of the film. It was released on August 19, 2016, by Word Entertainment.[76]

Track listing

No.TitlePerformer(s)Length
1."
Blanca
4:02
7."Shadows"We Are Messengers3:07
8."Never Burn Out"Stars Go Dim3:54
9."Your Love Is Enough"Jon Foreman3:43
10."Drop Your Stone"Chris August4:10
11."If We're Honest"Francesca Battistelli3:09
12."Come Sit Down"Big Daddy Weave5:35
13."The Only Way Out"Andra Day3:43
Total length:51:07

Score

Ben-Hur (Original Motion Picture Score)
Film score by
Marco Beltrami
Released5 August 2016
Recorded2016
GenreFilm score
Length1:06:31
LabelSony Classical Records
ProducerMarco Beltrami
Marco Beltrami film scores chronology
The Shallows
(2016) 		Ben-Hur (Original Motion Picture Score)
(2016)
Anubis

(2018)

Ben-Hur (Original Motion Picture Score) is the film score for Ben-Hur. All scores were composed and conducted by Marco Beltrami, with additional music by Brandon Roberts and additional conducting by Mark Graham. It was released on 5 August 2016 by Sony Classical Records.[77]

Track listing

All music is composed by Marco Beltrami

No.TitleLength
1."Ben-Hur Theme"2:52
2."Jerusalem 33 A.D. / Sibling Rivalry"2:23
3."Carrying Judah"1:57
4."Mother's Favorite"1:21
5."Messala Leaves Home"1:33
6."Dear Messala"1:46
7."Messala Returns"1:33
8."Speaking of Zealots"1:27
9."Messala and Tirzah"1:36
10."Brothers Divide"1:40
11."Home Invasion"4:41
12."Galley Slaves"4:59
13."Rammed Hard"2:18
14."Judah Ashore"2:29
15."Horse Healer"1:26
16."Ben and Esther"1:38
17."Training"3:19
18."Invitation"1:16
19."Ilderim Wagers"2:38
20."Leper Colony / Messala Will Pay"3:04
21."The Circus"2:39
22."Chariots of Fire"4:17
23."Brother vs. Brother"4:26
24."Carried Off"1:22
25."Jesus Arrested"3:10
26."Forgiveness"1:51
27."Modeh Ani Haiku"2:50
Total length:1:06:31

Release

Ben-Hur was originally scheduled to be released in the United States and Canada on February 26, 2016, but Paramount moved its release date to August 12, 2016.[78] According to Variety, the decision to switch from February to August may have been due to the studio's faith in summer being the best time to release a tentpole epic.[78] At the 2016 CinemaCon, Paramount again announced it was moving the release date to August 19, 2016, and scheduling Florence Foster Jenkins for August 12, when Pete's Dragon, Sausage Party, and Anthropoid were also scheduled to be released.[79][80][81][82][83] It was released in the United Kingdom and Ireland on September 7.[84]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (3 June) and Star Trek Beyond (22 July).[87] It was the last big-budget release of the summer movie season.[88][89]

Ben-Hur was released in Malaysia on 15 September 2016. The film's release drew controversy, when some viewers complained that scenes depicting Jesus Christ had been cut out from the Malaysian theatrical version. The Malaysian Film Censorship Board's chairman, Datuk Abdul Halim Abdul Hamid, clarified that the Malaysian censors had not cut out scenes depicting Jesus from the film, but suggested that the film producers did cut out a few scenes to suit the sensitivities of certain markets. The film's Malaysian distributor, United International Pictures Malaysia, has since confirmed that the cuts were made to fulfil local legal requirements and guidelines.[90]

Marketing

Two exclusive photos of the film were released by USA Today on March 14, 2016.[9] On March 15, Entertainment Tonight released a world exclusive premiere of some of the scenes of the chariot race,[91] and on the following day, the first official trailer was released online,[87][92] along with a teaser poster.[93]

The trailer was released a week after Paramount released

Sony Pictures' faith-based Miracles from Heaven opened on March 16.[87] The trailer garnered a polarized reception from critics and audiences,[94][95][96] with comparisons being made to 300: Rise of an Empire,[97] Gladiator,[98][99][100] and Spartacus: Blood and Sand.[101] In its first week, the trailer was viewed over 8.2 million times across YouTube and Facebook, making it the fourth most viewed trailer of the week.[102] The trailer was also screened in front of over 30,000 people at Hillsong Conference 2016.[citation needed
]

Jesus is in the film, which was used for some faith-based marketing to a Christian audience.[103]

Home media

Ben-Hur was released on Digital HD on November 29, 2016[104] and on Blu-ray and DVD on December 13, 2016.[105][106]

Reception

Box office

Ben-Hur was called by Hollywood observers the summer's biggest

break even point at about $250 million globally.[110]

The Hollywood Reporter placed Ben-Hur among the biggest summer box office risks of 2016,[113] while Forbes deemed it "the summer's most predictable miss/catastrophe".[8][107] In the United States and Canada, the film was projected to gross to about $15 million in its opening weekend, a disappointing figure considering its $100 million production cost.[2] Due to a negative reception from critics and the influx of heavy competition,[114][115][116] the re-opening of schools after summer vacation, and the final weekend of the Rio Summer Olympics, the film's opening expectations were lowered as its opening approached.[42] It opened Friday, August 19, 2016, on around 3,300 screens across 3,084 theaters, and earned $4.1 million,[117] including $900,000 it made from Thursday previews at 2,389 theaters.[116] The film went on to gross a low $11.2 million in its opening weekend, even with 3D and IMAX bumps, finishing sixth at the box office and third among new releases, behind Kubo and the Two Strings and War Dogs.[118][119] The film's opening weekend demographic was 51% female vs. 49% male, with 94% of the overall audience coming in over the age of 25.[120]

Many box office critics and publications considered the film a box office bomb based on its opening alone.

underperform at the box office, especially recent big-budget movies from major studios – Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014), The Legend of Hercules (2014), and Gods of Egypt (2016).[42][127][128]

Ben-Hur depended heavily on foreign markets, especially in Christian offshore territories, such as

break even point and to recoup its production budget (including marketing expenses).[42][88] Outside North America, Ben-Hur grossed $10.7 million in its opening weekend from 23 international markets (18 territories released by Paramount and 5 by MGM). It had No. 1 openings in certain markets like Mexico, the Philippines, India, Peru, Russia, France, and Bulgaria.[129] Its top openings were in Mexico (2.7 million), Russia ($2.3 million), Brazil ($2.2 million), the United Kingdom ($1.5 million), France ($1.2 million), and Spain ($1.1 million).[130][131][132] In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the film earned £265,000 in Wednesday and Thursday previews and through Sunday, and had a total opening of £1.05 million from 509 theaters. It debuted in second place behind the animated Sausage Party, after stiff competition from the horror film Don't Breathe, for the second spot. Minus previews, it earned £783,000 from Friday to Sunday alone, which placed the film at number five on the chart.[133]

It opened in South Korea on September 14,[130] and delivered a robust 5-day opening worth $6.69 million from 707 theaters.[134] It finished in first place among Hollywood films (ahead of The Magnificent Seven), and in second place overall behind local film The Age of Shadows.[135] Although it fell to second place in its sophomore weekend, it managed to fend off newcomers The Magnificent Seven and I Am a Hero, and grossed a total of $8.8 million there.[136][137] It opened in China—then the world's second biggest movie market—on October 10,[138] and delivered a paltry $2.51 million in its opening weekend. However, this is reflective of a seven days total as it opened on a Monday. Based on Friday to Sunday alone, the total was just $460,000, managing to debut at number ten.[139]

In terms of total earnings, South Korea ($8.8 million), Mexico ($6 million), and Brazil ($5.5 million) were its top markets.[131][136] The film's opening date in its final market, Japan, was February 8, 2017.[130][140]

Critical response

Ben-Hur received generally negative reviews from critics, most of which considered the film an unnecessary remake in comparison to the classic 1959 film. On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 25% based on 190 reviews with an average rating of 4.56/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "How do you fight an idea? By filming a remake that has too few of its own, and tries to cover it up with choppy editing and CGI."[141] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 38 out of 100 based on 34 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[142] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.[143]

accents of vaguely British origin", but as it progresses, "Ben-Hur announces itself as the sort of elemental re-imagining of the source material that no one in their right mind would ever expect it to be."[144] IGN's Scott Collura gave the film 5.8/10, writing: "Ben-Hur is an adequate introduction to the classic tale of revenge and forgiveness, but it's an uneven one. Toby Kebbell's antagonist character frequently outweighs the appeal of Jack Huston’s hero, the more religious elements of the story don’t jell very well with the action set pieces, and much of the cast are left behind by their own movie. But still, there’s no denying the power of Ben-Hur's final redemption. It’s just not a very smooth ride getting there."[145]

The New York Times' Stephen Holden wrote, "Overseen by a director not known for his human touch and lacking a name star, except for Mr. Freeman, Ben-Hur feels like a film made on the cheap, although it looks costly."[146] Richard Roeper gave the film two stars out of four, writing: "Ben-Hur struggles to find an identity and never really gets there. The well-intentioned efforts to achieve moving, faith-based awakenings are undercut by the casually violent, PG-13 action sequences."[147] The Hollywood Reporter's Todd McCarthy described the film's chariot race scene as being "heavily digitized and over-edited", and called it the worst scene of the film he described as "Misguided, diminished and dismally done in every way".[148]

Rolling Stone labeled the film "A Remake Disaster of Biblical Proportions."[149] Empire summarized it as "passable for the most part, but laughably inept in places."[150]

Sister Rose Pacatte wrote a positive review for the National Catholic Reporter, objecting only to the anachronistic costumes worn by Jewish women in the film.[151]

Accolades

Award Category Subject Result
EDA Special Mention Award Sequel or Remake That Shouldn't Have Been Made — Won
Yoga Award Worst Remake Timur Bekmambetov Won

American Federation of Musicians v. Paramount Pictures

In April 2015, the

American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada filed a lawsuit against MGM and Paramount Pictures, with the federation accusing the studios of not paying proper wages, benefits and residual compensation to the hired musicians working on the film.[152][153]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Ben-Hur (2016)". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on January 22, 2018. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  2. ^ a b Pamela McClintock (July 28, 2016). "Box Office: 'Ben-Hur' Tracking for Alarming $14M-$15M U.S. Debut". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 29, 2016. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
  3. ^ a b "Ben-Hur (2016)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Archived from the original on September 30, 2016. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  4. ^ a b c Jack Giroux (March 29, 2016). "Don't Expect to See Any Slo-Mo Chariot Races in the 'Ben-Hur' Remake". /Film. Archived from the original on April 2, 2016. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
  5. ^ a b c Michael Cieply (June 25, 2015). "Paramount Promises Respectful Portrayal of Jesus in 'Ben-Hur'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 19, 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  6. ^ "Ben-Hur". imax.com. IMAX Corporation. June 23, 2016. Archived from the original on July 5, 2016. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
  7. ^ a b c d Brent Lang (August 21, 2016). "Box Office: 'Ben-Hur' Flops With $11.4 Million, 'Suicide Squad' Still on Top". Variety. Archived from the original on August 22, 2016. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
  8. ^ a b c Scott Mendelson. "Box Office: 'Ben-Hur' Bombed (In America) Because No One Wanted To See It". Forbes. Archived from the original on August 23, 2016. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
  9. ^ a b c d e Brian Truitt (March 14, 2016). "Sneak peek: Jack Huston takes reins of new 'Ben-Hur'". USA Today. Archived from the original on March 15, 2016. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "MGM and Paramount Start Principal Photography on Ben-Hur". comingsoon.net. February 2, 2015. Archived from the original on February 3, 2015. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
  11. ^
    Christian Post. Archived from the original
    on March 16, 2016. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  12. ^ a b c d e f Horatia Harrod (August 13, 2016). "Jesus meets the Fast & Furious: remaking Ben-Hur for 2016". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on August 13, 2016. Retrieved August 13, 2016.
  13. ^ a b c d e f Nick Miller (August 14, 2016). "Ben-Hur 2016: On set during the epic chariot race". Bendigo Advertiser. Archived from the original on September 17, 2016. Retrieved August 14, 2016.
  14. ^ Mike Fleming Jr (September 16, 2014). "'Ben-Hur' Remake: 'Boardwalk Empire's Jack Huston Lands Title Role". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  15. ^ Mike Fleming Jr (August 12, 2014). "Sweet Chariot! Tom Hiddleston Courted For 'Ben-Hur' Title Role". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 24, 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  16. ^ Peter Debruge (August 10, 2016). "Is 'Ben-Hur' a Dark Horse in the Chariot Race for Global Audiences?". Variety. Archived from the original on August 11, 2016. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
  17. ^ Denise Petski (March 16, 2016). "'Ben-Hur' Trailer: Jack Huston Takes The Chariot's Reins". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 19, 2016. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
  18. ^ a b Elizabeth Kolbert (July 31, 2016). "Morgan Freeman's "Ben-Hur"". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on August 4, 2016. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
  19. ^ a b Fleming, Mike Jr. "'Homeland's Nazanin Boniadi Wins 'Ben-Hur' Female Lead". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 3, 2014. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  20. ^ Borys Kit and Rebecca Ford (October 15, 2014). "Gal Gadot Circling Female Lead in 'Ben-Hur'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 4, 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  21. ^ Mike Fleming Jr (December 2, 2014). "'Homeland's Nazanin Boniadi Wins 'Ben-Hur' Female Lead". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 25, 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  22. ^ a b Kit, Borys (January 13, 2015). "Rodrigo Santoro to Play Jesus Christ in MGM's 'Ben-Hur' Remake". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 18, 2015. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
  23. ^ Mike Fleming Jr (January 14, 2013). "Sweet Chariot! MGM is Rebooting 'Ben-Hur'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 16, 2016. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  24. ^ Tatiana Siegel (March 16, 2016). "Why Religious Movies Are Luring Mainstream Stars". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 16, 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  25. ^ (Press release) (April 18, 2015). "Pope Francis blesses actor playing Jesus in 'Ben-Hur' film". Christian Today. Archived from the original on March 15, 2016. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  26. ^ "'Ben Hur's' Jesus Blessed By Pope Francis in 2015". The Hollywood Reporter. April 15, 2015. Archived from the original on March 27, 2016. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
  27. ^ a b Yamato, Jen. "Sofia Black-D'Elia Lands 'Ben-Hur' Role". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 1, 2015. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
  28. ^ a b Ford, Rebecca; Kit, Borys. "'Man of Steel' Actress in Talks for 'Ben-Hur'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 14, 2014. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
  29. ^ a b Yamato, Jen (January 20, 2015). "'Ben-Hur' Adds Moises Arias". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 4, 2015. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
  30. ^ Jen Yamato (January 20, 2015). "'Ben-Hur' Adds Moises Arias; Luna Blaise Joins James Franco's 'Memoria'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  31. ^ a b Ge, Linda; Sneider, Jeff (January 21, 2015). "'Lucy' Star Pilou Asbæk to Play Pontius Pilate in 'Ben-Hur'". thewrap.com. Archived from the original on February 3, 2015. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
  32. ^ Jen Yamato (November 4, 2014). "Asian Pop Star Jay Chou Cast In 'Now You See Me 2', Marwan Kenzari Joins 'Ben-Hur'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 21, 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  33. ^ Talbot, Charlotte (April 15, 2015). "Join Game of Thrones actor on Cycle Zambia challenge for Street Child Africa". getsurrey.co.uk. Archived from the original on March 23, 2016. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
  34. ^ a b Dave McNarry (March 16, 2016). "'Ben-Hur' Remake Trailer: Jack Huston Stars in Reboot". Variety. Archived from the original on March 16, 2016. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
  35. ^ a b c d e Mike Fleming Jr (January 14, 2013). "Sweet Chariot! MGM is Rebooting 'Ben-Hur'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 16, 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  36. ^ "'Ben-Hur' remake set for 2016 release". USA Today. April 25, 2014. Archived from the original on August 15, 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  37. ^ Mike Fleming Jr (September 20, 2013). "MGM's 'Ben-Hur' To Ride With Timur Bekmambetov As Director". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 19, 2016. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
  38. ^ "'Wanted' director puts new twist on epic adventure 'Ben-Hur'". July 21, 2016. Archived from the original on July 24, 2016. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  39. ^ a b Elizaveta Chalenko (April 20, 2015). "Timur Bekmambetov Talks Unfriended, Ben-Hur, Wanted 2, and More". Collider. Archived from the original on March 19, 2016. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
  40. ^ Rebecca Ford (August 4, 2016). "'Ben-Hur' Director on How His Remake Differs From Charlton Heston's Film and How He Found His Judah". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 5, 2016. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
  41. ^ a b c d e f g Jack Giroux (April 4, 2016). "How Director Timur Bekmambetov Recreated the Classic 'Ben-Hur' Chariot Race Sequence". /Film. Archived from the original on April 7, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  42. ^ a b c d Anthony D'Alessandro (August 20, 2016). "'Ben-Hur's Weekend Apocalypse: Is There Redemption For Faith-Based Epics At The B.O.?". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 20, 2016. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  43. ^ "Screenwriter John Ridley on Why the Ben-Hur Remake Will Be Different". Comingsoon.net. September 22, 2014. Archived from the original on March 24, 2016. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
  44. ^ a b c Christina Radish (March 5, 2015). "John Ridley Talks American Crime and Ben Hur". Collider. Archived from the original on March 23, 2016. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
  45. ^ Emma Brown (March 6, 2015). "John Ridley's American Landscape". Interview. Archived from the original on March 26, 2016. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
  46. ^ Mike Fleming Jr (October 24, 2013). "'12 Years A Slave' Scribe John Ridley Boards 'Ben-Hur' Reboot At MGM". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 24, 2016. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
  47. ^ "Sweet Chariot! Tom Hiddleston Courted For 'Ben-Hur' Title Role". Deadline Hollywood. August 2014. Archived from the original on January 9, 2020. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  48. ^ Kroll, Justin (September 16, 2014). "MGM and Paramount Tap Jack Huston to Play 'Ben-Hur'". variety.com. Archived from the original on September 18, 2014. Retrieved September 17, 2014.
  49. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (September 11, 2014). "Morgan Freeman Set For 'Ben-Hur' Redo". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 12, 2014. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  50. ^ Kroll, Justin (September 18, 2014). "Toby Kebbell Eyes Villainous Role in 'Ben-Hur' Remake". variety.com. Archived from the original on September 21, 2014. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  51. ^ Ford, Rebecca. "Gal Gadot Circling Female Lead in 'Ben-Hur'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 16, 2014. Retrieved October 16, 2014.
  52. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. "'Game Of Thrones' Pedro Pascal In Talks To Play Pontius Pilate In 'Ben-Hur'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 17, 2014. Retrieved October 16, 2014.
  53. ^ Sneider, Jeff (October 30, 2014). "'Batman v Superman' Shoot Forces Gal Gadot to Pass on 'Ben-Hur'". thewrap.com. Archived from the original on October 31, 2014. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  54. ^ Yamato, Jen (November 4, 2014). "Marwan Kenzari Joins 'Ben-Hur'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 8, 2014. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
  55. ^ Sneider, Jeff (November 13, 2014). "'Ouija' Star Olivia Cooke May Play Jack Huston's Sister in 'Ben-Hur' Remake". thewrap.com. Archived from the original on January 17, 2015. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
  56. ^ "Ben-Hur: Italy's Matera the film location of choice". theaustralian.com.au. November 27, 2015. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
  57. ^ "Hollywood on the Tiber 2: The return of Cinecittà". swide.com. December 3, 2014. Archived from the original on January 9, 2015. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
  58. ^ a b Alicia Rancilio (February 10, 2016). "Jack Huston: The 'Ben-Hur' remake was an epic undertaking". Yahoo! Movies. Archived from the original on March 21, 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  59. ^ a b Peter T. Chattaway (April 2, 2015). "Ben-Hur begins its four-month shoot at Cinecitta Studios". Patheos. Archived from the original on March 16, 2016. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  60. ^ Nancy Tartaglione (April 1, 2015). "BAFTA Breakthrough Brits Opened Up; Ben-Hur Races To Cinecitta: Global Briefs". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 29, 2016. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  61. Indiewire. Archived from the original
    on March 16, 2016. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  62. ^ "'Ben Hur' is back with a new message". DW. Archived from the original on August 12, 2016. Retrieved August 13, 2016.
  63. ^ a b Xochitl Pena (August 12, 2016). "Palm Springs area plays backdrop for new 'Ben-Hur' film". The Desert Sun. Archived from the original on December 10, 2018. Retrieved August 13, 2016.
  64. ^ a b c d e f Stephanie Kirchgaessner (March 9, 2015). "Ben-Hur remake filming banned from Rome's Circus Maximus". The Guardian. Archived from the original on March 14, 2016. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  65. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Don Steinberg (August 10, 2016). "'Ben-Hur': Gentlemen, Restart Your Chariots". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on August 11, 2016. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
  66. ^ Katie Granger (August 26, 2015). "Ben-Hur: How Will The Remake Measure Up?". Moviepilot. Archived from the original on November 28, 2015. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  67. ^ Paul Whitington (May 10, 2015). "Film... 'Ben Hur': The epic that broke the mould". The Independent. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  68. ^ Ariston Anderson (November 3, 2015). "'Ben-Hur' Remake Blocked From Filming at Historic Rome Site". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 16, 2016. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  69. ^ a b c Nina Terrero (April 18, 2016). "Ben-Hur: Jack Huston reveals what saved his 'privates' during chariot race". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 19, 2016. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
  70. ^ a b Raphael Chestang (June 10, 2016). "Jack Huston on Shooting 'Ben-Hur' Chariot Race: 'If Something Goes Wrong, It Can Go Wrong Quick'". Entertainment Tonight. Archived from the original on July 17, 2016. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
  71. ^ Adam Holmes (June 14, 2016). "The New Ben-Hur Doesn't Use CGI In Its Chariot Race, And This Awesome Video Proves It". CinemaBlend. Archived from the original on July 4, 2016. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
  72. ^ Phil De Semlyen (April 25, 2016). "Exclusive new look at Ben-Hur's chariot race". Empire. Archived from the original on April 26, 2016. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
  73. ^ Press release (April 12, 2016). "How that insane chariot race in the new 'Ben-Hur' was shot with almost no CGI". Business Insider. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
  74. ^ Brian Truitt. "Everybody got down and dirty for epic 'Ben-Hur' race". USA Today. Archived from the original on August 17, 2016. Retrieved August 17, 2016.
  75. ^ Jeannie. "'Ben-Hur' Actor Toby Kebbell Reveals Miracle That Took Place on Set (Interview)". The Christian Post. Archived from the original on August 27, 2016. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  76. ^ "Ben-Hur – Songs Inspired by the Epic Film Soundtrack (2016)". Soundtrack.Net. August 19, 2016. Archived from the original on July 27, 2016. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  77. ^ Ben-Hur (Original Motion Picture Score) at Discogs. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  78. ^ a b Dave McNary (October 21, 2015). "'Ben-Hur' Remake Moved to August". Variety. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  79. ^ Anthony D'Alessandro (April 11, 2016). "Paramount Dates 'Florence Foster Jenkins', 'Ben Hur' Moves, Brad Pitt WWII Spy Film Titled 'Allied'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 12, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  80. ^ Rebecca Ford (April 11, 2016). "CinemaCon: Paramount Places Bets on Denzel Washington's 'Fences,' Brad Pitt's 'Allied'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 12, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  81. ^ Jacob Stolworthy (March 17, 2016). "Ben-Hur trailer: a 3D remake has slipped through the cracks". The Independent. Archived from the original on March 17, 2016. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
  82. ^ Pete Hammond (April 12, 2016). "Paramount Shows Off 'Turtles', 'Treks', Remakes And Oscar Bait As Exhibitors Eat It All Up". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 12, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  83. ^ Kevin Fraser (July 7, 2016). "New character posters introduce the cast of Ben-Hur". JoBlo.com. Archived from the original on July 8, 2016. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  84. ^ James White. "First look at Jack Huston in the new Ben-Hur". Empire. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  85. ^ Patrick Hipes (October 21, 2015). "Paramount Pushes 'Ben-Hur' Release To August 2016". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 15, 2016. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  86. ^ Mia Galuppo (October 21, 2015). "'Ben-Hur' Pushed to Summer 2016, 'Anomalisa' Gets Holiday Release". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 16, 2016. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  87. ^ a b c d Scott Mendelson (March 16, 2016). "'Ben-Hur,' Summer's Last Tentpole, Gets A Trailer". Forbes. Archived from the original on January 7, 2018. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
  88. ^ a b Scott Mendelson. "Friday Box Office: 'Ben-Hur' Flops As 'War Dogs' And 'Kubo' End Summer With A Shrug". Forbes. Archived from the original on September 24, 2017. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  89. ^ Erich Schwartzel (August 21, 2016). "'Ben-Hur' is Epic, Big-Budget Bust". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
  90. The Malay Mail. Archived
    from the original on September 18, 2016. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  91. ^ Raphael Chestang (March 15, 2016). "Watch Epic Chariot Race From the New 'Ben-Hur'". Entertainment Tonight. Archived from the original on March 18, 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  92. ^ Mia Galuppo (March 16, 2016). "First 'Ben-Hur' Reboot Trailer Arrives". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 18, 2016. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
  93. ^ Sandy Schaefer (March 16, 2016). "Ben-Hur Trailer & Poster: Stand and Fight". Screenrant. Archived from the original on March 17, 2016. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
  94. ^ "New Ben-Hur trailer 'a crime against God'". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on March 18, 2016. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
  95. The Wrap. Archived
    from the original on April 11, 2016. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
  96. ^ Tony Matthews (March 17, 2016). "'Ben-Hur' Backlash: Why the Trailer Upset So Many Peoole". Inquisitr. Archived from the original on May 20, 2016. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
  97. ^ Luke Y. Thompson (March 16, 2016). "'Ben-Hur' Trailer Emphasizes Action, Not Jesus". Forbes. Archived from the original on March 19, 2016. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
  98. ^ Kevin Polowy (March 16, 2016). "'Ben-Hur': First Trailer for Re-Do Is Here". Yahoo! Movies. Archived from the original on March 19, 2016. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
  99. ^ K.M. McFaraland (March 16, 2016). "New Ben-Hur Trailer looks Like an Evangelical Gladiator". Wired. Archived from the original on March 16, 2016. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
  100. ^ Rob Bricken (March 17, 2016). "The Ben-Hur Remake Is Dumb, Loud, and a Crime Against God". io9. Archived from the original on March 18, 2016. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
  101. ^ Dennis DiClaudio (March 16, 2016). "Action and loudness abound in the trailer for Ben-Hur". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on March 18, 2016. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
  102. ^ Andy Lewis (March 21, 2016). "Trailer Report: 'Captain America: Civil War' Holds Off Newcomers for No. 1". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 24, 2016. Retrieved March 21, 2016.
  103. ^ 'Ben-Hur' Couldn't Have Been Worse Archived 2016-10-05 at the Wayback Machine Vice, August 22, 2016
  104. ^ "Ben-Hur (2016)". DVDs Release Dates. Archived from the original on October 25, 2016. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  105. ^ "Epic Adventure BEN-HUR Coming to Blu-ray and Digital HD". Broadway World. Archived from the original on October 25, 2016. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
  106. ^ "Ben-Hur Blu-ray". Blu-ray.com. Archived from the original on October 25, 2016. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  107. ^ a b Scott Mendelson. "'Ben-Hur' Flopped, But 'Me Before You' Topped $200M. Please Hollywood, Learn Nothing From This". Forbes. Archived from the original on September 9, 2016. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  108. ^ Brent Lang (November 10, 2016). "'Ben-Hur' Leads to $48 Million Write-Down at MGM". Variety. Archived from the original on November 11, 2016. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
  109. ^ Pamela McClintock (September 8, 2016). "'Ben-Hur' Faces Epic $120M Loss as Summer's Biggest Box-Office Bust". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 9, 2016. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  110. ^ a b Brent Lang (August 23, 2016). "'Ben-Hur' Could Lose $100 Million at Box Office". Variety. Archived from the original on August 24, 2016. Retrieved August 24, 2016.
  111. ^ a b Pamela McClintock (September 4, 2016). "Summer Box-Office Winners and Losers: From 'Finding Dory' to 'Ben-Hur'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 7, 2016. Retrieved September 4, 2016.
  112. ^ Brent Lang (September 20, 2016). "'The Magnificent Seven,' 'Storks' Swoop in to Save the Box Office". Variety. Archived from the original on September 21, 2016. Retrieved September 21, 2016.
  113. ^ Pamela McClintock (May 18, 2016). "Summer Box-Office Guide to 'Suicide Squad,' Safe Bets and Potential Misfires". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 19, 2016. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
  114. ^ Pamela McClintock (August 19, 2016). "Weekend Box Office: 'Ben-Hur' Bombing; 'Suicide Squad' Still No. 1". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 19, 2016. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  115. ^ Dave McNarry (August 19, 2016). "Box Office: 'Ben-Hur' Trailing Rivals With Dismal $12 Million U.S. Weekend". Variety. Archived from the original on August 20, 2016. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  116. ^ a b Anthony D'Alessandro (August 19, 2016). "'Suicide Squad' Holding No. 1 Turf; 'War Dogs' & 'Kubo' In Staring Contest; 'Ben-Hur' Crashing – Noon B.O. Update". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 19, 2016. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  117. ^ "Daily Box Office". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on August 28, 2016. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  118. ^ Scott Mendelson. "Weekend Box Office: 'Ben-Hur' Bombs, 'War Dogs' And 'Kubo Open Soft". Forbes. Archived from the original on August 22, 2016. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
  119. ^ Bryan Alexander (August 22, 2016). "'Ben-Hur' box office took an even worse turn Monday". USA Today. Archived from the original on August 23, 2016. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
  120. ^ Brad Brevet (August 21, 2016). "'Suicide Squad' Threepeats at #1, While 'Ben-Hur' Becomes Latest Big Budget Flop". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on August 24, 2016. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
  121. ^ Paul Bond (August 20, 2016). "Glenn Beck Raves About 'Ben-Hur' as Critics Jeer". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
  122. ^ Owen Gleiberman (August 20, 2016). "A Lesson of the 'Ben-Hur' Debacle: Movie Stars Still Matter". Variety. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  123. ^ Brooks Barnes (August 21, 2016). "'Ben-Hur' Is Latest Flop for Paramount". The New York Times. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
  124. ^ Devan Coggan. "Ben-Hur and 15 other notorious August flops". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 23, 2016. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
  125. ^ Jason Guerrasio. "Why the new 'Ben-Hur' is the biggest box-office flop of the whole summer". Business Insider. Archived from the original on August 23, 2016. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
  126. ^ Brent Lang (August 21, 2016). "'Ben-Hur': 5 Reasons the Biblical Epic is Summer's Biggest Flop". Variety. Archived from the original on August 22, 2016. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
  127. ^ Gerrick D. Kennedy (August 20, 2016). "'Ben-Hur' losing box office chariot race to 'Suicide Squad'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 20, 2016. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  128. ^ Pamela McClintock, Lesley Goldberg (August 23, 2016). "'Ben-Hur' Fallout: Film, TV Biblical Epics in Need of Redemption". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 24, 2016. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
  129. ^ Nancy Tartaglione (August 22, 2016). "Weekend results – foreign international box office". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 24, 2016. Retrieved August 24, 2016.
  130. ^ a b c Nancy Tartaglione (August 28, 2016). "Intl Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 29, 2016. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  131. ^ a b Nancy Tartaglione (September 4, 2016). "International Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 5, 2016. Retrieved September 5, 2016.
  132. ^ Anita Busch (September 11, 2016). "Warner Bros.' Weekend Trifecta With 'Mil-Jeong,' 'Sully' And 'Suicide Squad' – Int'l Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 12, 2016. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
  133. ^ Charles Gant (September 13, 2016). "Don't Breathe spooks Ben-Hur's horses at the UK box office". The Guardian. Archived from the original on September 14, 2016. Retrieved September 14, 2016.
  134. ^ Nancy Tartaglione (September 18, 2016). "'Bridget Jones's Baby' Bows To $30M; 'Suicide Squad' Powers Past $400M – Intl Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 19, 2016. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  135. ^ Sonia Kil (September 18, 2016). "Korea Box Office: 'Shadows' Holds Holiday Weekend". Variety. Archived from the original on September 19, 2016. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  136. ^ a b Nancy Tartaglione (September 25, 2016). "'Bridget Jones's Baby' Tops Overseas Again As 'Magnificent 7' Corrals $19.2M & 'Storks' Bundles $18.3M – Intl Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 26, 2016. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  137. ^ Sonia Kil (September 25, 2016). "Korea Box Office: 'Shadows' Holds Off 'Ben Hur,' 'Magnificent Seven'". Variety. Archived from the original on September 27, 2016. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  138. ^ Nancy Tartaglione (October 2, 2016). "'Miss Peregrine' Books $36.5M; 'Finding Dory', 'Bridget Jones' Reach Milestones; Big Frame For Local Pics – Intl Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 3, 2016. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  139. ^ Patrick Frater (October 16, 2016). "China Box Office: 'Operation Mekong' Stays Ahead of 'The BFG'". Variety. Archived from the original on October 18, 2016. Retrieved October 17, 2016.
  140. ^ "Ben-Hur (2016) Release Info". www.imdb.com. IMDb. Archived from the original on November 30, 2016. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  141. ^ "Ben-Hur (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Archived from the original on December 11, 2016. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  142. CBS Interactive. Archived
    from the original on August 30, 2016. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
  143. ^ "CinemaScore". cinemascore.com. Archived from the original on September 16, 2017.
  144. ^ Vishnevetsky, Ignatiy (August 18, 2016). "The new Ben-Hur gets better (and bolder) as it races to the finish line". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on August 19, 2016. Retrieved August 18, 2016.
  145. ^ Collura, Scott (August 18, 2016). "Ben-Hur Review: Chariots of tired". IGN. Archived from the original on September 11, 2016. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
  146. ^ Holden, Stephen (August 18, 2016). "Review: 'Ben-Hur' Is a Savage Update for a New Generation". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 18, 2016. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  147. ^ Roeper, Richard (August 18, 2016). "'Ben-Hur': Chariots of mire, zooming in too many directions". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on August 19, 2016. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  148. ^ McCarthy, Todd (August 18, 2016). "'Ben-Hur': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 10, 2016. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  149. ^ "'Ben-Hur' Review: A Remake Disaster of Biblical Proportions". Rolling Stone. August 19, 2016. Archived from the original on August 21, 2017. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  150. ^ Pile, Jonathan (September 4, 2016). "Ben-Hur Review". Empireonline. Archived from the original on November 30, 2016. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
  151. ^ Pacatte, Rose (August 17, 2016), "'Ben-Hur': Judah's redemption path", National Catholic Reporter, archived from the original on August 18, 2016, retrieved August 18, 2016
  152. ^ Gardner, Eriq (February 7, 2018). "How MGM's 'Ben-Hur' Evolved Into a Pending Fight Before the National Labor Relations Board". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 28, 2018. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  153. ^ "American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada v. Paramount Pictures Corp., No. 16-55996 (9th Cir. 2018)". Justia.com. September 10, 2018. Archived from the original on September 28, 2018. Retrieved September 27, 2018.

External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to Ben-Hur.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ben-Hur_(2016_film)&oldid=1216696851"