Just hours after we reported Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot is in talks for the female lead in MGM's Ben-Hur, Game of Thrones star Pedro Pascal is now in talks to play Pontius Pilate.

Pontius Pilate plays a significant part in the Ben-Hur remake, which will be much more faithful to Lew Wallace's original 1880 novel, which told the parallel tale of Jesus Christ alongside Ben-Hur's story. In the Bible, Pontius Pilate is the prefect from Judea who oversaw the trial of Jesus Christ and ordered his crucifixion.

Jack Huston is playing the title character, who was betrayed by his longtime friend Messalla (Toby Kebbell), and sold into slavery. Morgan Freeman plays Ben-Hur's new mentor, who teaches him to become a chariot racer, a skill which will come in handy during the epic chariot race towards the end of this remake, mirroring the original Ben-Hur's iconic finale. Gal Gadot is playing a slave who Ben-Hur falls in love with.

Timur Bekmambetov is directing from a script originally written by Keith R. Clarke and revised by John Ridley. Production is slated to begin in Europe early next year.

Pedro Pascal is best known for playing Oberyn Martell, a.k.a. The Red Viper of Dorne in HBO's Game of Thrones. He was last seen on the big screen in 2011's The Adjustment Bureau.