Joaquin Phoenix Interested in Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

The twice Oscar nominated Joaquin Phoenix is looking to make his return to legitimate acting and what better way to do that then to do it teaching the President of the United States how to hunt down vampires?

Last week saw the casting of Benjamin Walker into the role of the 16th America President in the adaptation of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and now there’s a chance that the less-bearded Joaquin Phoenix will join him as his immortal mentor and teacher of the vampire hunting ways.

Deadline has the exclusive on Phoenix who is seeking to return to acting after his viral and strange stint in creating the not-really-entertaining I’m Still Here. He’s reportedly met with the studio about the project and is very interested.

The adaptation of the Seth Grahame-Smith’s 2010 novel will be directed by Timur Bekmambetov and so far stars Benjamin Walker in the title role.

The story of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is written as a serious biography based on a fictional collection of secret diaries by Honest Abe. As a kid, Lincoln learns of their existance from his father and seeks them out throughout the years after learning that his mother’s death was actually caused by vampire’s blood.

In an eventual confrontation with a vampire, Lincoln is about to die but is saved by another vampire named Henry Sturges, a role previously offered to current Hollywood buzz topic Tom Hardy. Sturges befriends Lincoln and teaches him about the species, how not all of them are evil, and most importantly, how to combat them… with an axe.

The novel, which recieved rather mixed reviews from critics, follows the secret adventures of Lincoln through the years to hunt down the “evil,” vampires as he crosses paths with several other important historical figures, including Edgar Allen Poe (who also knows about the existance of vampires).

The role for which Phoenix is interested in is for Henry Sturges and I can certainly picture him as Lincoln’s vampire sidekick. I’d love to see his talents on screen in another period piece, and this role may be that perfect opportunity.

Share your thoughts in the comments and with us on Twitter @rob_keyes and @screenrant.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is scheduled to release in theaters on June 22, 2012.

Source: Deadline

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Will Eric Bana Get Elected ‘Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter’?

Honest Abe Lincoln made quite the name for himself – born in a one-room log cabin to a poor family from Kentucky and eventually becoming the 16th President of the U.S.A. It is (ahem) now known that he was also skilled at killing blood-sucking immortals, as his secret diaries reveal in Seth Grahame-Smith’s hit novel, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.

Timur Bekmambetov of Wanted and Night Watch fame is directing the big screen adaptation of Smith’s novel, which could end up featuring Australian actor Eric Bana as the titular vampire-slaying American politician himself.

The Wrap says that Bana is scheduled to meet with Bekmambetov about the lead part in his Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter adaptation, which has already been scripted by Smith and is being produced by Tim Burton. Tom Hardy was previously approached to play the role of Henry Sturges – who, in Smith’s book, is a vampire that saves young Lincoln’s life and teaches him how to properly hunt and kill creatures of the night – but Bana is the first name to pop up as a serious contender for the part of the former President himself.

Fox has scheduled a summer 2012 release date for the film, which is budgeted at $69 million and will be a 3D affair. That hopefully means Bekmambetov will actually shoot Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter in the 3D format since:

There’s not yet been a case in which a live-action movie converted to 3D during post-production looked more than adequate – generally the footage just appears blurred and muddled.Bekmambetov’s previous films have all featured hyper-stylized action sequences and the kind of visual wizardry that virtually jumps off the screen in regular 2D – much less the third dimension. Bekmambetov's 'Wanted' was all about the stylish action.

Bana is no stranger to big-budget action fare, having previously starred in pics like Hulk, Troy, and last year’s Star Trek reboot as well. While the actor does not hail from the U.S. himself, he does bear a slight physical resemblance to the 6' 4” Lincoln – more so in terms of height (Bana is 6' 3”) than build. Donning the traditional Lincoln beard, top hat, and suit might give Bana more of the refined, stream-lined look that just about every picture and portrait of the real Honest Abe indicates he had.

London-born thespian Daniel Day-Lewis will play Lincoln in Steven Spielberg’s upcoming biopic about the president, which will take far fewer (*cough*) creative liberties with the truth about the man’s life than Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. We know Lewis can certainly look the part of the 16th President (he essentially already did in Gangs of New York), but perhaps Bekmambetov’s Lincoln movie calls for a more (*double cough*) physically robust version of the man – one who seems capable of taking out powerful, supernatural monsters with pretty much his bare hands, that is.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is scheduled to attack theaters on June 22nd, 2012, so production will begin in the first half of 2011. Expect to hear a big name officially sign on to play the warrior U.S. President himself in the near future.

Source: The Wrap

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