This new behind-the-scenes featurette of Ben-Hur was released online so you know they didn’t use CGI for the chariot race, yep, they used real chariots pulled by real horses:

BEN-HURPlot synopsis:
“The epic story of Judah Ben-Hur (Jack Huston), a prince falsely accused of treason by his adopted brother Messala (Toby Kebbell), an officer in the Roman army. Stripped of his title, separated from his family and the woman he loves (Nazanin Boniadi), Judah is forced into slavery. After years at sea, Judah returns to his homeland to seek revenge, but finds redemption. Based on Lew Wallace’s timeless novel, Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ.”

Director Timur Bekmambetov is comparing chariot racing to NASCAR… but well, I’d rather watch a chariot race with horses than a NASCAR race and its gas-guzzling cars! And you?

The film will open in theaters in August 19, 2016.
:)