Pedro Pascal, known to many as bisexual badass Oberyn Martell from HBO’s Game Of Thrones, has had a bit of a rough year. When viewers last left his Game Of Thrones character, the remains of his head were splattered across a hot stretch of pavement following a staggering defeat in battle at the hands of Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane. In addition to haunting the nightmares of Game Of Thrones fans, that image must have made an impression on the producers behind the upcoming Ben-Hur remake, as Deadline reports that Pascal is now in talks to play Pontius Pilate, one of the Bible’s least-loved bureaucrats.
If he gets the part, Pascal will join a cast that includes Morgan Freeman, Jack Huston, and possibly Gal “Wonder Woman” Gadot in what is rapidly becoming the must-see biblical epic of 2016. Also, Pilate’s role in the remake promises to be meatier than it was in the 1959 Charlton Heston movie version. Producers want this adaptation of the book Ben-Hur: A Tale Of Christ to focus as intently as Jesus as possible, so moviegoers can look forward to extended scenes of Pascal overseeing Jesus’ sedition trial, waffling on the sentence, and finally ordering his death. If all it takes to land roles like this is having your face crushed, it’s a wonder more actors haven’t tried it.