Cinecittà Revival Underway in Basilicata

The magical atmosphere of the historic Cinecittà is making its way south to the Sassi of Matera, where Monday, February 2, will mark the first take of the remake of "Ben Hur." The event is drawing scores of tourists, students, and locals intrigued by the Hollywood crews. People are photographing the "work in progress" as the construction of sets transforms the Sassi into a great natural location.

This comes as Rome's Cinecittà Studios is reliving its glory days with a slew of Hollywood productions set to be filmed at the famed location, including the remake of Paramount and MGM's epic film, "Ben Hur."

Three U.S. productions are currently underway at Cinecittà. "Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt" is based on Anne Rice's best-selling novel about young Jesus as he discovers his real identity. Directed by Cyrus Nowrasteh, the film is based at Cinecittà. It is also being shot on location as "Ben Hur" in the southern region of Basilicata, where Mel Gibson's "Passion of the Christ" was made. The other is the U.S. indie thriller "Voice From the Stone," starring Emilia Clarke of "Game of Thrones" fame. Some upcoming James Bond films are also among the high-profile movies scheduled to be shot in Rome early next year.

Perhaps the most high-profile is the "Ben Hur" remake, which will begin shooting in February. The film will be directed by Timur Bekmambetov, with "Boardwalk Empire" star Jack Huston in the title role, which Charlton Heston originally played. According to a statement released by Cinecittà, the production designer Naomi Shohan will reconstruct ancient Jerusalem on the Cinecittà back lot for the four-month shoot. Morgan Freeman is also associated with the project. The script was co-written by Oscar-winning "12 Years a Slave" screenwriter John Ridley and Keith Clarke, who sold the original script to MGM.

Plans for MGM's 24th James Bond include high-speed car chases through the streets of Rome and Bond parachuting down onto the ancient Ponte Sisto Bridge on the Tiber River.

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