Game of Thrones actor Pedro Pascal to star in Ben-Hur remake

The Red Viper would have a significant role as the Roman prefect

Pedro Pascal made quite the impact in Game of Thrones (Getty)

Games of Thrones star Pedro Pascal is set to play Pontius Pilate in the latest remake of Ben-Hur.

The Chilean actor, who played Oberyn Martell in the hit HBO series, is in talks to star in the epic biblical tale based on Lew Wallace's 1880 novel, according to Deadline.

William Wyler's 1959 remake won a remarkable 11 Academy Awards and taking the helm this time around is Timur Bekmambetov, who is best known for his 2004 Russian-language film Night Watch.

Pascal, who met a grisly death as the Red Viper, would have a significant role in Ben-Hur as the Roman prefect. The MGM and Paramount film already boasts a cast that includes Jack Huston in the lead role, Morgan Freeman and Toby Kebbell.

The movie tells the story of a Jewish prince (Huston) who is betrayed by his best friend Messala (Kebbell) and cast into slavery. In his search for revenge he trains under Ildarin (Freeman) to become a world-class chariot racer.

Mark Burnett, Sean Daniel and Joni Levin are producing, with Keith R Clarke and John Ridley working on the screenplay.

Pascal made a big impact in Game of Thrones, despite only appearing in series four. He has also appeared in The Adjustment Bureau and Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe.

Ben-Hur is scheduled for release on 19 February 2016 in the UK and 26 February in the US.