Ben-Hur rides again in Paris show

Publicity for the show included chariots on the streets of Paris

A live version of the epic 1959 film Ben-Hur is to be staged in Paris' Stade de France later this month.

The performance will feature the scenes made famous by the Oscar-winning movie - a battle at sea, a gladiatorial contest and a live chariot race.

Some 60,000 spectators are expected for each of the production's five nights.

"There are scenes that are absolutely breathtaking," said Jean-Christophe Giletta of Stade de France Productions, which is staging the show.

"Ben-Hur is universal, it's international, everyone knows what it is. But no one had dared to put it on up to now."

'Bigger than the legend'

The cast, assembled by veteran impresario Robert Hossein, numbers in the hundreds.

BEN-HUR THROUGH TIME Written by US Civil War general Lew Wallace, published in 1880 as Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ Adapted for Broadway in 1899 In 1925, Ramon Novarro starred in a film version, which at $3.9m was the most expensive silent movie made Famed 1959 version, starring Charlton Heston, won 11 Oscars Made into musical Judah Ben-Hur in 1999 Live show in Stade de France (above) begins 22 September

The story of a Jewish prince who is framed for an attempt on a Roman governor's life, Ben-Hur began as the book Ben-Hur: A Tale Of The Christ, written by Lew Wallace and published in 1880.

Scenes from the book were often performed in theatrical spectacles in the early 20th Century. But the most famous version was the 1959 film, which starred Charlton Heston in the title role. It won a record-breaking 11 Oscars - a feat not matched until Titanic in 1998.

Hossein is one of France's most successful producers, and made his name with giant shows with a religious or historical theme - such as A Man Named Jesus and I Was Called Marie-Antoinette.

He has described the new show as "bigger than the legend".

Negotiations are now under way to take the show abroad, including to the US and Asia, Stade de France Productions confirmed.