Say it isn't so!

[markfp]

I just read on another forum that David Wyler, son of director William Wyler is going to produce a tv mini-series of BEN-HUR". He thinks he can improve it by modernizing it. I hope this was a belated April fool's gag. If it come's to past we'll be able to poor Charlton spinning in his grave.

[markfp]

I left one thing out of my original post. It will have a $30 million budget. What can they do with that little money. The 1959 version cost around $14 million to produce. In today's dollars it would cost close to $300 million. I can just see the race done with computer generated horses. It just won't be the same.

I know the Heston version was a remake and in general, while don't usually care for remakes, I think any film production is good because it keeps hundreds, if not thousands, of people employed.

[Bogie]

Well they already did a TV mini-series of THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (btw how was it I didn't watch it) so I don't see what's so different about this other then the modernization aspect.

[Ollie]

I'm not so pessimistic. For $30 million, they should be able to get one, or maybe even two of the 72-color crayon boxes, lotsa OfficeDepot copier paper and draw the entire film using all of those colors. It will be great. I hope they can stay inside the lines.

Then, they can hire Robin Williams to do all the voices. I love it when he acts like he's Arsenio Hall - both are such geniunely historic figures that they'll go over VERY well in this new Ben Hur.

Now... where's that topic about FILM BURN?!! Hmmm... I think all the planets and stars are aligning...