"El Cid" is getting a remake by "Rush Hour" producer Arthur Sarkissian, he has optioned remake rights to the 1961 feature, reports The Hollywood Repoter.
The original film, directed by Anthony Mann and starring Charlton Heston and Sophia Loren, is set in war-torn Spain during the 12th century. It centers on Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, known as El Cid, a lord who became one of the greatest heroes of all time, rising above religious hatred and calling upon Christians and Moors to stand up against the fanatical religious warrior Ben Yussuf and his army.
The film was nominated for three Academy Awards, including art direction, musical score and song.
"This movie is not as well-remembered as the likes of 'Spartacus,' 'Ben-Hur' or 'Lawrence of Arabia,' yet has the scope, the grandeur and the power of those pictures," Sarkissian said. "The original movie will serve as my blueprint for the remake in the same way that the 1964 film 'Fall of the Roman Empire' inspired the movie 'Gladiator,' starring Russell Crowe, which turned out to be a far superior film to the original and one of the best movies I've seen in recent years. Ironically, both original movies were directed by Anthony Mann."
The project is out to writers. And Sarkissian hopes to shoot the project in Spain for a 2004 release.