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06-14-2002, 03:27 PM
Heston Toons in 'Ben-Hur'
By Scott Hettrick
Charlton Heston will reprise his role of "Ben-Hur" for an upcoming remake of the movie.
But instead of the months of work he put in on the first one in 1959, his role this time required only a couple days in a recording studio and no elaborate makeup or costuming.
That's because the 77-year-old actor is starring in an animated version of the story, a feature-length video premiere movie tentatively set to be released in September or October by GoodTimes Home Entertainment.
"You don't often get a chance to do the same thing twice," said Heston, who also appeared in last year's remake of another of his most famous films, "Planet of the Apes."
The "Ben-Hur" cartoon was put together by Agamemnon Films, run by Heston's son Fraser, and John Stronach. William R. Kowalchuk, who produced and directed the computer-animated "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys," will perform the same tasks on "Ben Hur."
Heston Sr. also introduces the film in a live-action video recording before the animated Ben-Hur appears looking like "the archetypal Charlton Heston," according to his son. Heston also narrates the film, but this is no one-man show: the film has more than 100 speaking parts.
Although at 97 minutes the cartoon is about two hours shorter than the 1959 edition, Fraser Heston said the all-new script, supervised by Jerome Gary and written by newcomer Avi Estrin, is the most faithful adaptation of Lew Wallace's novel and omits little of significance from the 1959 epic.
One thing that is left out is the birth of Jesus, but a scene is added in the Garden of Gethsemane. Unlike other Biblically themed animated features such as "The Prince of Egypt" or "Joseph: King of Dreams," "Ben-Hur" is not a musical. It also has no comic relief characters.
Although there was an intentional effort to downplay some of the Biblical elements included in the 1959 edition, Fraser Heston said, "It's foolish to deny there is a large Christian audience. But the message of faith and love and forgiveness is one that anyone of any faith should relate to."
[Source: Reuters]
By Scott Hettrick
Charlton Heston will reprise his role of "Ben-Hur" for an upcoming remake of the movie.
But instead of the months of work he put in on the first one in 1959, his role this time required only a couple days in a recording studio and no elaborate makeup or costuming.
That's because the 77-year-old actor is starring in an animated version of the story, a feature-length video premiere movie tentatively set to be released in September or October by GoodTimes Home Entertainment.
"You don't often get a chance to do the same thing twice," said Heston, who also appeared in last year's remake of another of his most famous films, "Planet of the Apes."
The "Ben-Hur" cartoon was put together by Agamemnon Films, run by Heston's son Fraser, and John Stronach. William R. Kowalchuk, who produced and directed the computer-animated "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys," will perform the same tasks on "Ben Hur."
Heston Sr. also introduces the film in a live-action video recording before the animated Ben-Hur appears looking like "the archetypal Charlton Heston," according to his son. Heston also narrates the film, but this is no one-man show: the film has more than 100 speaking parts.
Although at 97 minutes the cartoon is about two hours shorter than the 1959 edition, Fraser Heston said the all-new script, supervised by Jerome Gary and written by newcomer Avi Estrin, is the most faithful adaptation of Lew Wallace's novel and omits little of significance from the 1959 epic.
One thing that is left out is the birth of Jesus, but a scene is added in the Garden of Gethsemane. Unlike other Biblically themed animated features such as "The Prince of Egypt" or "Joseph: King of Dreams," "Ben-Hur" is not a musical. It also has no comic relief characters.
Although there was an intentional effort to downplay some of the Biblical elements included in the 1959 edition, Fraser Heston said, "It's foolish to deny there is a large Christian audience. But the message of faith and love and forgiveness is one that anyone of any faith should relate to."
[Source: Reuters]