Jack Huston, the British actor known for roles in American Hustle and Boardwalk Empire, has been cast as the lead of the upcoming Ben-Hur remake.

The film will take on the epic tale of Judah Ben-Hur, originally told by novelist Lew Wallace in 1880. Set in 1st century Jerusalem, Ben-Hur is wrongfully separated from his family by a vengeful Roman tribune and imprisoned as a galley slave, before slowly fighting his way back to freedom. It was made into a silent film in 1925, and then one of the definitive Hollywood epics in 1959, starring Charlton Heston alongside 10,000 extras and 2,500 horses – it became a huge box office success and won 11 Oscars.

Huston joins the previously announced Morgan Freeman, who will play Ildarin, a chariot race trainer. Timur Bekmambetov, the Russian film-maker behind Wanted and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, will direct it; John Ridley, who won an Oscar for his 12 Years a Slave script, has had input into the screenplay.

It is the first major leading film role for Huston, who is currently filming Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, a movie version of the parody-fiction hit. Hollywood press site Deadline reported last month that Tom Hiddleston was being considered for Ben-Hur, but the actor has instead been announced as appearing in King Kong film Skull Island.