'Ben-Hur' headed for TV miniseries remake

LOS ANGELES, April 10 (UPI) -- The son of the man who directed the 1959 Hollywood film classic "Ben-Hur" said he is producing a new version of the story as a $30 million TV miniseries.

David Wyler, son of director William Wyler, is producing the remake with Alchemy TV, Variety.com reported Thursday.

Christian Duguay, whose previous projects include "Coco Chanel" and "Human Trafficking," is to start filming the miniseries starring an actor, who will portray the hero in his 20s, later this year, the trade paper said.

The project, which reportedly will play down the religious aspects of the story, was announced just days after the original film's star Charlton Heston died at the age of 84.

"We've got a joke that this is the family business," David Wyler told Daily Variety. "In my mind, this is dedicated to my dad and Chuck. We think it's a great way to keep his memory alive."

Alchemy TV has sold the miniseries to Spain, Germany and Canada, while Wyler is in talks with two networks and a cable channel for the U.S. rights, the trade paper said.