Jack Huston, best known for playing Richard Harrow on Boardwalk Empire, has joined the cast of the Ben-Hur remake in the titular role originated by Charlton Heston.

Jack Huston Cast As Ben-Hur

MGM and Paramount announced Huston’s casting as Ben-Hur on Tuesday, reported Deadline.

Ben-Hur follows the story of two young men – one a Jewish prince (Ben-Hur) and the other the son of a roman tax collector (Messala) – who are friends growing up in Jerusalem prior to the Roman Empire taking control of the region. Eventually, Messala turns on his old friend and ultimately paves the way for him to be thrown into slavery. Seeking redemption for the betrayal, Ben-Hur, who trained as a charioteer following his captivity, competes against Messala in an epic chariot race.

It’s previously been revealed that Morgan Freeman will play the part of Arab sheik Ildarin in Ben-Hur. Ildarin takes Ben-Hur under his wing and urges him to compete in the chariot race in which he’ll face Messala before Pontius Pilate. Huston had reportedly originally auditioned for the role of Messala before he was tapped to play Ben-Hur. The part of Messala has yet to be cast.

Directing the Ben-Hur remake is Timur Bekmambetov, who is working from a script by Keith Clarke that has been edited by John Ridley. It is slated for release Feb. 26, 2016.