MGM Studios and Paramount Pictures have decided on Boardwalk Empire star Jack Huston to play the title role in their Ben-Hur remake.

We reported last month that the studios were eyeing Tom Hiddleston to play Ben-Hur, but that report revealed the actor was also mulling over a number of other offers, such as MGM's Me Before You.

The studios will set their sights on casting the role of Messala next, the one-time friend of Ben-Hur who frames him for an accident, which causes him to be sold in to slavery. This duplicitous act ignites Ben-Hur's long journey for revenge. Along the way, he meets Ildarin (Morgan Freeman), who teaches the title character to become a champion chariot racer.

The story is said to be much more faithful to the original Lew Wallace novel, with the remake including the parallel story of Jesus Christ, which wasn't included in the 1959 Ben-Hur film that starred Charlton Heston. The remake will still end with the famous chariot races like the original film.

Timur Bekmambetov is directing from a script originally written by Keith R. Clarke and rewritten by John Ridley. It isn't known when production will begin, but MGM and Paramount have handed out a February 26, 2016 release date.

Jack Huston can currently be seen in the final season of HBO's Boardwalk Empire, and he recently wrapped production on The Longest Ride. The actor also signed on last month to star in Cross Creek Pictures' Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.