MGM’s remake of 1959 historical epic Ben-Hur failed to nab Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice actress Gal Gadot (who had to pass on the project due to a scheduling conflict), but it may have managed to get a hold of another powerful woman in Superman’s life all the same.
According to THR, Ayelet Zurer, who played Superman’s Kryptonian birth mother Laura Lor Van in Man of Steel, is circling a role in Ben-Hur, though it’s not the same one that was offered to Gadot. If she ends up committing to the project she’ll play Naomi, the mother of Judah Ben-Hur (Jack Huston).
This marks one of several big projects to come Zurer’s way following last year’s Superman reboot; she recently wrapped production on Last Days in the Desert opposite Ewan McGregor, and has been cast as Vanessa Fisk, the wife of the Kingpin, in Marvel’s Daredevil Netflix series. Ben-Hur, if a successful reimagining of the beloved and classic Charlton Heston film (and adaptation of the Lew Wallace novel), would certainly be a major boom to the actress’ rapidly-expanding resume.
Directed by Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter‘s Timur Bekmambetov, Ben-Hur is expected to hit cinema screens in February 2016. The film stars Jack Huston, Toby Kebbell and Morgan Freeman.
