Timur Bekmambetov has an interesting resume so far. The Kazakhstani writer, director, and producer’s credits include Night Watch and Day Watch as writer and director; Wanted and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter as director; and 9 and Apollo 18 as a producer.

One movie you likely did not expect to hear his name attached to is Ben-Hur, a reboot of the 1959 Charlton Heston epic which was based on the 1880 Lew Wallace novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ that’s being developed by MGM. But here we are. According to sources, Bekmembetov has entered into negotiations with the studio to take on the reboot.

MGM released the ’59 movie as well as an earlier 1925 silent adaptation of Wallace’s book, also titled Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. The studio got this latest adaptation moving after acquiring a spec script from writer Keith Clarke.

[Source: Deadline]