Jack Huston talks ‘Ben-Hur’ chariot race as new trailer released
The 2016 remake of the 1959 classic Ben-Hur is taking the epic story to another level, and ET went behind the scenes for an exclusive look, talking with star Jack Huston.
“It’s sort of like when people say respect the sea,” Huston said of the famous chariot race. “If something goes wrong, it can go wrong quick and you have to be very aware of it.”
Based on Lew Wallace’s timeless novel, Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, Ben-Hur follows the epic story of Judah Ben-Hur (Huston), a prince falsely accused of treason by his adopted brother Messala (Toby Kebbell) and forced into slavery.
After years at sea, Judah returns to his homeland to seek revenge, but finds redemption.
Even with special effects, Huston had to take the filming of the race sequence seriously, telling ET that the 32 horses race up to 40 mph, saying that “That thing has no suspension. Everything it hits — you feel everything. The whole thing is shaking like crazy.”
To capture the thunderous feel of the race, the film crew attached microphones to the horses to record the sound of pounding hooves, and GoPro cameras were buried in the sand.
Check out the video featurette below, Ben-Hur, also stars Morgan Freeman as Messala and Rodrigo Santoro, opening in theaters on August 19.
