Ben Hur (miniseries)

Ben Hur
DVD cover
Genre	Period drama Adventure
Based on	Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ by Lew Wallace
Written by	Alan Sharp
Directed by	Steve Shill
Starring	Joseph Morgan Stephen Campbell Moore Kristin Kreuk Emily VanCamp
Composer	Rob Lane
Country of origin	United Kingdom Canada Spain United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	2
Production
Producers	Roger Corbi Simon Vaughan
Cinematography	Ousama Rawi
Editors	Annie Ilkow Simon Webb
Running time	180 minutes
Original release
Network	CBC
Release	April 4, 2010 (2010-04-04)

Ben Hur is a television miniseries that first aired in 2010. Based on Lew Wallace's 1880 novel, Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ , the series was produced by Alchemy Television Group in association with Drimtim Entertainment and Muse Entertainment in Montreal. It aired on Canada's CBC network on April 4, 2010, ^[1] and aired later in 2010 on ABC in the United States.

Ben-Hur was directed by Steve Shill, ^[2] and stars Kristin Kreuk, Ray Winstone, Art Malik, Hugh Bonneville and Joseph Morgan as Judah Ben-Hur. The film was written by Alan Sharp.

Plot

The miniseries follows the story of Judah Ben-Hur, a wealthy merchant in Jerusalem who is falsely accused of treason by his childhood friend, Messala, now a Roman officer. Betrayed and sold into slavery, Ben-Hur endures years of hardship before rising to seek revenge and redemption. His journey intersects with that of Jesus Christ, whose life and crucifixion profoundly impact Ben-Hur's understanding of forgiveness and justice.

Cast

• Joseph Morgan as Judah Ben-Hur/Sextus Arrius, a wealthy Jerusalem merchant.
• Stephen Campbell Moore as Octavius Messala, a Roman officer.
• Emily VanCamp as Esther, Ben Hur's fiancée.
• Kristin Kreuk as Tirzah, Ben Hur's sister.
• Simón Andreu as Simonides, Esther's father.
• Hugh Bonneville as Pontius Pilate, governor of Judaea
• James Faulkner as Marcellus Agrippa, Messala's father
• Alex Kingston as Ruth, Ben Hur's mother.
• Art Malik as Sheik Ilderim, a wealthy Bedouin.
• Marc Warren as David Ben Levi, Ben Hur's overseer.
• Lucía Jiménez as Athene, a Greek courtesan.
• Miguel Ángel Muñoz as Antegua, a galley slave
• Ray Winstone as Quintus Arrius, a Roman admiral.
• Ben Cross as Emperor Tiberius
• Kris Holden-Ried as Gaius Antonius, a Roman officer.
• Michael Nardone as Hortator (galley slave master)
• Julian Casey as Jesus Christ
• Eugene Simon as Young Ben Hur
• Toby Marlow as Young Messala
• Daniella Ereny as Young Tirzah

Production

The miniseries was filmed across various international locations to authentically recreate the ancient world of Judaea and Rome. Its cinematography, led by Ousama Rawi, and its score, composed by Rob Lane, enhance the storytelling with vivid visuals and an evocative soundtrack.

Producers

• Roger Corbi
• Simon Vaughan

Editors

• Annie Ilkow
• Simon Webb

Reception

The adaptation received mixed reviews, with some praising its modern interpretation and performances while others critiqued its deviation from the novel and prior adaptations.

Trivia

• The series is one of several adaptations of Lew Wallace’s novel, including the renowned 1959 film starring Charlton Heston.
• Kristin Kreuk, known for her role in Smallville, brings a modern sensibility to the historical character of Tirzah.

References

1. "Programming Highlights: Ben Hur For The 21st Century; New Miniseries Premieres on CBC". Channelcanada.com. March 23, 2010. Retrieved 2019-08-23.
2. Spangler, Todd (2009-03-26). "ABC to air 'Ben Hur' miniseries". Variety. Retrieved 2019-08-23.

External links

• Ben Hur at IMDb
• Ben Hur at the TCM Movie Database