Morgan Freeman Calls New 'Ben-Hur' a 'Reimagining' of the 1959 Classic

— -- Morgan Freeman stars as Sheik Ilderim in the new "Ben-Hur" movie, a film he says should not be called a remake of the 1959 classic starring Charlton Heston.

"We[‘re] not really doing a remake," Freeman said in an interview that aired today on "Good Morning America. "I think this is more of a reimagining."

"I grew up watching that movie," added Freeman’s co-star, Jack Huston, who plays Judah Ben-Hur. "While that's a story about revenge, this is a story about hope and love and forgiveness and redemption."

Freeman’s Sudanese sheikh character backs Huston’s character in his quest for freedom -- all while wearing a dreadlock wig that was fashioned by Francesco Pegoretti.

Pegoretti didn't have to do a lot of convincing to get Freeman to try the wig. He simply said, "Come here and let me try this wig on you and see how you like it," Freeman described.

"And there it was, all those curls," Freeman said. "And I thought, ‘Yeah.’"

"In the film, I'm quite a powerful character," Freeman said with a smile. "It’s good to be the king."

This new "reimagining" of "Ben-Hur" also features a more multi-cultural approach. Nazanin Boniadi plays Esther, the wife of Ben-Hur.

"First of all, I'm Middle Eastern, I'm Iranian, so to be playing a leading role in a big Hollywood movie I think is possibly one of the first times," Boniadi said. "I love that she has a voice and I love that she's strong, in a way that women haven't really been portrayed in this era."

The new film, directed by Timur Bekmambetov, does contain the chariot scene made famous by the 1959 version, but with even more twists and thrills.

"The first day it's terrifying and then you sort of relinquish that fear and you sort of almost embrace it," Huston said of filming that scene.

When asked about the adrenaline of watching it on the set, Freeman replied, "It's not the same as if you were up in there, I guarantee you."

"Ben-Hur" opens in theaters August 19.