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 '' . 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 " . 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 . The studio wanted him to make " a production polish that deals with just honing the story and making it filmable . " Tom Hiddleston was originally considered for the title role , Judah Ben-Hur . Jack Huston was later cast instead . On September 11 , Morgan Freeman was added to the cast to play Sheik Ilderim , the man who teaches Ben-Hur to become a champion chariot racer . On September 18 , sources confirmed that Toby Kebbell was in early talks to play the villain , Messala . On October 15 , Gal Gadot was in talks to join the film as Esther , the slave with whom Ben-Hur is in love . Pedro Pascal from the TV series '' Game of Thrones '' was in talks to play Pontius Pilate . On October 30 , TheWrap confirmed that Gadot 's negotiations with Paramount and MGM had ended , and the actress had withdrawn , reportedly due to scheduling conflicts with '' Batman v Superman : Dawn of Justice '' . On November 4 , Marwan Kenzari was added to the cast as Druses , a Roman captain . On November 11 , Ayelet Zurer was in final negotiations to play Naomi , Judah Ben-Hur 's mother ( Miriam in the book and the 1959 adaptation ) . On 13 November , Olivia Cooke was being considered for Tirzah , Ben-Hur 's sister . On December 2 , Nazanin Boniadi was confirmed as the actress who would play Esther . On January 12 , 2015 , Sofia Black D'Elia was cast as Ben-Hur 's sister , Tirzah . On January 13 , Rodrigo Santoro was announced as Jesus . 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 . On January 21 , Pilou Asbæk was cast as Pontius Pilate , replacing Pascal for the role
an Oscar
86th Academy Awards
Ben-Hur (2016 film)