A pair of actors have entered into negotiations to join Ben-Hur, the latest adaptation of Lew Wallace’s 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. The book was of course previously turned into the 1959 classic starring Charlton Heston that went on to win 11 Academy Awards.

It’s being reported that Gal Gadot, who’s best known (though only seen in a single image so far) as the new Wonder Woman for upcoming DC Comics movies beginning with Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Pedro Pascal, who won many fans as Prince Oberyn Martell, the Red Viper of Dorne, on the most recent season of Game of Thrones, are both in talks for the movie. Gadot would play the female lead, Esther, a slave Ben-Hur is in love with. Pascal is up for the role of Pontius Pilate.

MGM and Paramount Pictures have chosen their star for Ben-Hur, the upcoming remake of the 1959 classic of the same name that starred Charlton Heston and was directed by William Wyler and went on to win 11 Academy Awards, including awards for both Heston and Wyler.

Jack Huston, the actor perhaps best known for his work playing Richard Harrow on the HBO series Boardwalk Empire, will take on the iconic role. He joins Morgan Freeman, who’s set to play Ildarin.

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.

A second full-length trailer for Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter has as popped up online, and once again, it just doesn’t do anything for me. With the movie’s release just a few weeks away, Fox is attempting to muster up some excitement for the film. Again, this film seems just way too ridiculous and tries to take itself way too seriously. You can check out the new trailer below.

The release just happens to coincide with the Memorial Day holiday. Benjamin Walker stars as the 16th President of the United States who moonlights – because we all know vampires can’t possibly walk during the day – as a vampire hunter after seeing his mother being bitten by the bloodthirsty beast. Directed by Timur Bekmambetov, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire hunter is based on Seth Grahame-Smith‘s novel of the same name. Grahame-Smith also wrote the screenplay. Dominic Cooper, Anthony Mackie, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead also star.

To be honest, I really don’t understand all the hype surrounding Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. I’ve never been on board with the movie from the start. The film seems like it was produced hastily and there is nothing that I see that I like. It all looks generic and stale. So in attempts to alleviate all that angst and worry that some may share with me, Fox has released a brand new red band trailer for the film, which you can view here below.

But even with all the hacking and slashing of vampires, the film doesn’t look like anything truly special. It all just seems very ridiculous even for a summer popcorn movie. The source material is certainly interesting enough for a good read, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s worthy of being adapted into a movie. We will have to see if Timur Bekmambetov‘s Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter can prove me wrong when it hits theaters on June 22nd.