Hollywood plans new 'Commandments' movie

LOS ANGELES, July 13 (UPI) -- Paramount Pictures is considering a movie remake of "The Ten Commandments," The Hollywood Reporter said Tuesday.

The studio has already made two versions of the movie, both directed by the legendary Cecil B. DeMille. The paper said Mark Gordon is set to produce and screenwriter Charles Randolph ("The Life of David Gale," "The Interpreter") will soon meet with studios executives about writing the project.

The movie may be a natural response to the popularity of Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ," but the Reporter said Gordon and Randolph are believed to be interested in a "serious, research-based treatment" of the Bible story of Moses.

DeMille first made "The Ten Commandments" in 1923 as a silent picture that featured both black-and-white and early Technicolor footage. His 1956 remake, which starred Charlton Heston and Yul Brynner, earned seven Oscar nominations and has become a staple of Easter/Passover programming on U.S. network television.