Tom Hiddleston, burdened with glorious purpose, wanted for ‘Ben-Hur’ remake

They’re remaking Ben-Hur and they want Tom Hiddleston to star in it. We understand your complicated feelings at this time.

‘They’ are MGM, Paramount and director Timur Bekmambetov, who’ve set a February 26, 2016 release date for this new take on Ben-Hur.

According to Deadline, the studios are courting Hiddleston (of Loki and Internet love affair fame) to take on the iconic role of Judah Ben-Hur, made famous by Charlton Heston in the classic 1959 film.

Hiddleston – burdened with glorious purpose – might be too busy for the part, Deadline cautions. He’s hot property, don’t you know?

The Biblical tale is based on Lew Wallace’s 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, which concerns the rivalry between Jewish prince Ben-Hur and his Roman best friend Messala, who become divided over their conflicting faiths.

The last draft of the script for this reboot was penned by Oscar-winning 12 Years a Slave scribe John Ridley.