Ben-Hur, the classic 1959 film starring Charlton Heston, is set to be remade by MGM.

Hollywood’s lack of imagination for new material threatens to undermine the influence of well-made, classic films. Maybe this remake is simply “the sincerest form of flattery,” but imitation that doesn’t quite hit its mark can result in some pretty terrifying things. Think of Steve Martin’s feeble attempt in 2006 to mimic Peter Sellers in 1963’s The Pink Panther, or the unwatchable 2001 remake of Heston’s iconic 1968 Planet of the Apes.

Slashfilm.com reports the film Noah is in the works and Pontius Pilate is possibly on the way. The film news site says, “Biblical epics are extremely hot in Hollywood right now.”

If Hollywood thinks it can make Biblical epics mainstream, God save us all.