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Boardwalk Empire’s Jack Huston stars in reboot of sword and sandals epic Ben-Hur

Watch the trailer for the chariot racing spectacular here

Ben-Hur - 2016

POPCORN has spent many a wet bank holiday watching Charlton Heston racing chariots in the classic roman epic Ben-Hur. And a truly fantastic film it is too.

So we were more than a little excited about the prospect of a shiny new 2016 reboot - and here's the trailer.

Boardwalk Empire star Jack Huston takes over from Charlton Heston as the Jewish prince who swears revenge after being betrayed and sent to the galleys by his adoptive brother, Messala.

Messala is played by Fantastic Four's Toby Kebbell and Morgan Freeman stars as Ilderim, the heavily dreadlocked sheik who trains Ben-Hur to become a charioteer.

 Toby Kebbell and Jack Huston battle it out in Ben-Hur
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Toby Kebbell and Jack Huston battle it out in Ben-HurCredit: Rex Features

The remake also stars Homeland's Nazanin Boniadi as slave girl Esther, who falls in love with Ben-Hur. Boniadi played Iranian CIA operative Fara Sherazi in the hit TV series.

Paramount's glossy reboot will have to go some way to match the original though.

 Jack Huston and Morgan Freeman star in the reboot of Ben-Hur
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Jack Huston and Morgan Freeman star in the reboot of Ben-HurCredit: Rex Features

The 1959 epic won 11 Oscars - including Best Picture, Director, and Actor - and was once the second highest grossing movie in history, after Gone With The Wind.

Ben-Hur arrives in UK cinemas on September 7.