Title Role Filled for Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Posted 01.29.11 by Ryan
While the adaptation of author Seth Grahame-Smith's Pride and Prejudice and Zombies can't seem to keep a director around for longer than a week, the adaptation of Grahame-Smith's other book, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is going along smoothly. The movie has a director (Wanted's Timur Bekmambetov), a producer (Tim Burton), a script from Grahame-Smith himself, and, now, an actor for the title role.
THR reports that Broadway actor Benjamin Walker will step into the (tall) shoes of the former President of the United States. Walker appeared in 2006's Flags of Our Fathers and was initially cast as the Beast in the upcoming X-Men: First Class until the actor dropped out so he could return to the title role in the musical "Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson" (ironically, another President), which went to Broadway.
While only Walker will play Lincoln from the age of 20 to 55, in a story that blends historical fact with the inclusion of vampires. The character of Henry Sturges is likely the next character to be cast. Sturges is the one that trains and mentors Lincoln in the art of dispensing the undead.
Walker is the second actor to be recently cast as Lincoln, with English and Irish actor Daniel Day-Lewis cast in director Steven Spielberg's upcoming biopic Lincoln last November. In Robert Redford's upcoming The Conspirator, the director used Lincoln impersonator Gerald Bestrom, though. considering the movie concerns the trial of Lincoln's assassins, it's doubtful the actor will be seeing much screen time.