Jack Huston, best known for playing sympathetic, mask-wearing hitman Richard Harrow on HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, has been cast in the titular role of the upcoming Ben-Hur remake, despite reports that Tom Hiddleston was being considered for the part. (Hiddleston will have to content himself with his 999 other upcoming projects.) Huston will play Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince enslaved after a friend’s betrayal who eventually faces his hated rival in a climactic chariot race. Afterwards, he finds redemption through religion, instead of spending the rest of his life ruthlessly killing people with a chariot while talking in a gravelly voice and wearing a creepy half-face mask, even though that would be a much more satisfying ending.
Huston will receive sonorous, twinkling-eyed advice on chariot murder from Morgan Freeman, already cast as Generic Wise Mentor No. 596. There’s no word yet on who’ll be joining them as Ben-Hur’s traitorous friend Messala or eventual messiah Jesus Christ, although Huston’s Boardwalk Empire co-star Steve Buscemi would be great in the latter role.