If I were to remake THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, here's the cast (1 Viewer)

[Jorossy]

Well first I would make sure that I have the proper financing. To even come close to the original I probably would need a minimum of $250 million (setting aside a big chunk for effects; I want the parting of the Red Sea REAL-REAL-REAL). I would do a lot of location shooting, have an all-star cast and film it in 70mm.

Now for the cast:

MOSES:
Original - Charlton Heston
Ramake - George Clooney

RAMESES:
Original - Yul Brynner
Ramake - Russell Crowe

NEFERTIRI:
Original - Anne Baxter
Remake - Angela Bassett

DATHAN:
Original - Edward G. Robinson
Remake - Jack Nicholson

SEPHORA (Moses' wife):
Original - Yvonne De Carlo
Remake -

JOSHUA:
Original - John Derek
Remake - Either Tom Cruise or Leonardo DiCaprio

LILIA (Joshua's Girlfriend/Wife):
Original - Debra Paget
Remake - Halle Berry

SETHI:
Original - Sir Cedric Hardwicke
Remake - Either Patrick Stewart or Ian McKellen

BAKA (Master Butcher):
Original - Vincent Price
Remake - Samuel L. Jackson

AARON:
Original - John Carradine
Remake - Tom Hanks

That's all that I can think of right now.

 

[Andrew_Sch]

That would be quite interesting to say the least. I'd pick a different Moses though.

 

[Edwin Pereyra]

To even come close to the original I probably would need a minimum of $250 million (setting aside a big chunk for effects; I want the parting of the Red Sea REAL-REAL-REAL). I would do a lot of location shooting, have an all-star cast and film it in 70mm.

A very ambitious project on paper something no studio will greenlight. Based on the talent you have in mind, you'll need more than $250M as that alone will only cover their salaries and other talent fees. Unless, of course, you can get them to work for scale, but I doubt it.
~Edwin

 

[Cees Alons]

You didn't pick one of the more important Supporting Actors (Actresses?), for the role of Someone we would get to see in those modern versions of Biblical movies.

Cees

 

[Jorossy]

Edwin: I would be Executive Producer along with James Cameron. Since Paramount would probably still hold some rights on it, I would have them release it. All that Titanic money that made, I think Cameron could help me get financing. (I kinda think he's the only film maker that you could give over $200 million to make a movie and not cry over it.) Hell, T3 has a budget of at least $180 million. My director of choice would be Spielberg. He could probably get the actors to work for less than their normal 'fees'.

Andrew: How about Denzel Washington for Moses?

One other addition.

VOICE OGF GOD:
Original - Delos Jewkes (Although some people think that it was that guy who played Lurch in the Addams Family TV show. To me it sounded like him.)

Remake - James Earl Jones (of course).

If unavailable, then (weird choice coming up) Kevin Conroy. The voice of Batman in the Batman - Animated Series show.

 

[Patrick McCart]

The Ten Commandments is actually a remake itself. Cecil B. DeMille filmed a silent version in 1923.

I don't see why it should be remade, though. The Prince of Egypt covered it pretty well minus the 1950's styles.

 

[Moe Maishlish]

Since Paramount would probably still hold some rights on it

I seriously doubt Paramount could hold rights to a biblical story. They interpreted the story from the biblical text, and last I heard there's no claim of ownership on that.
Perhaps the only thing that they hold the right to is the name "The Ten Commandments" itself, but that's sketchy as well, as it's also a biblical reference. Arguments could probably be made both ways, but you'd need to consult copyright law to know for sure.
Moe.

 

[Jorossy]

First, I meant Paramount holding the rights to the name of the movie. Anybody could make a movie about Moses without being afraid of being sued by God.

Second, as far as consulting copyright laws, this is just a 'what if' thread. If I had $1 billion I wouldn't make it.

 

[Brian W.]

First, I meant Paramount holding the rights to the name of the movie.

Titles aren't copyrightable (if that's a word), so you're okay.

 

[Dana Fillhart]

VOICE OGF GOD:
Original - Delos Jewkes (Although some people think that it was that guy who played Lurch in the Addams Family TV show. To me it sounded like him.)
Remake - James Earl Jones (of course).

You mean, you wouldn't want ...
Alanis Morissette

?

 

[MichaelPe]

Remake - Angela Bassett
Remake - Halle Berry
Remake - Samuel L. Jackson

Not exactly the most Egyptian/Hebrew-looking bunch.

 

[Qui-Gon John]

Too much of a classic to even visualize a remake or who could replace most of those characters.

 

[Terry St]

(parody mode on)
Hey... What about an updated version of the tale. Jet Li could play a badass version of Moses in an modern urban adaptation. The Israelites could be a biker gang and the Egyptions could be an evil megacorporation that has taken over all the hang-outs in their hood. Eminem could do the title theme *and* play god. The parting of the red sea could be changed to the parting of rush-hour traffic in L.A...

(parody mode off)
Yeah, those are some pretty disgusting ideas. Still, some stories (*cough* Romeo and Juliet) have been through even worse. It is an interesting idea to suggest a remake for a biblical epic though. You don't see many major hollywood productions giving serious treatment to religion these days. I have a feeling studios view religious topics as being too risky to spend more than 7 or 8 digits on, let alone 9.

 

[Zen Butler]

This thread hilarious

 

[Moe Maishlish]

Dana,

You mean, you wouldn't want ...
Alanis Morissette?

Don't you mean Alan Ryckman? I mean, technically he was Metatron, the voice of God. Alanis Morissette herself couldn't speak to humans as the sound of her voice would kill them.
Not surprisingly, I know many people who actually feel pain when they hear Alanis Morissette open her mouth in general.
Moe.

 

[Bill Huelbig]

VOICE OGF GOD: Original - Delos Jewkes

I always thought the voice of God, at least in the burning bush scene, was Charlton Heston himself. He said so in his autobiography, and it does sound like him (slowed way down).

--Bill

 

[Timothy Alexander]

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Remake - Angela Bassett
Remake - Halle Berry
Remake - Samuel L. Jackson
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Not exactly the most Egyptian/Hebrew-looking bunch.

What, and Tom Cruise and Leonardo DiCaprio are?

 

[MichaelPe]

What, and Tom Cruise and Leonardo DiCaprio are?

Well, with enough makeup, I'm sure they could pull it off.
Hey, how about we throw in a CGI character? An Egyptian Jar-Jar or Gollum would be kind of neat.

 

[Terry St]

What, and Tom Cruise and Leonardo DiCaprio are?

Hey, they cast Keanu Reeves as Siddhartha in "Little Buddha". It's pretty amazing what makeup and a wig can do.

 

[Qui-Gon John]

I always thought the voice of God, at least in the burning bush scene, was Charlton Heston himself. He said so in his autobiography, and it does sound like him (slowed way down).

According to IMDB it was Delos Jewkes and they have bio info on him, so it's not a pseudonym for Heston.