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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Vampire Diaries Co-Creator Developing New Paranormal ‘Companion Series’

If you’re an ardent lover of quality vampire flicks, don’t sweat the news that Joss Whedon passed on a Buffy the Vampire Slayer remake. There’s a good chance you can take comfort in an entirely new vampire-centric project – brought to you by someone well-versed in the bloodsucker genre.

The Vampire Diaries co-creator Kevin Williamson is sinking his teeth into a freshly signed development deal with Warner Bros. TV. Before the ink had even dried Williamson reportedly began work on a new project that is already being called a potential “companion series” for his juggernaut vampire show which remains the CW’s highest rated series.

Already generating comparisons to the The X-Files and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the hour-long weekly drama in development centers on a group of (presumably attractive) researchers who dare to study and boldly investigate paranormal happenings (those of which likely involve your not-so-friendly array of neighborhood vampires). Furthering hype about the vampire overtones is the hot rumor that Vampire Diaries executive producer Julie Plec will also be involved, in some capacity, behind the scenes of the new show.

If you’re wondering, like many other TV fans are, if this project could prove a logical replacement for Supernatural, now in its sixth season on the CW, you may be on to something. With contracts set to expire for the Supernatural cast at the end of this season, as well as the show’s move to the dreaded Friday night ratings dead zone, it’s quite possible that many will go the way of creator Eric Kripke – who has already abandoned ship. What’s more, the new Williamson project sounds very Supernatural-esque.

In the absence of concrete casting news, some are naturally speculating about the prospect of one or more characters from The Vampire Diaries possibly doing some cross-over promotional work – to give the new show an initial ratings jolt. What is for certain, however, is that the pilot will be under consideration by the CW for possible launch during the 2011-12 season.

Kevin Williamson, who only signed a new development deal with Warner Bros. in early November, is enamored with the paranormal and his penchant for such seems poised to direct his forthcoming endeavors. This will definitely please television audiences that still can’t seem to get enough of vampires, zombies, and other assorted vile creatures of the night.

Source: E! Online

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‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Movie Reboot On The Way [Updated]

[UPDATE: Buffy creator Joss Whedon has responded to the news. Check out his comments below.]

There have been rumblings of a Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie reboot for a couple of years now. The last time we heard, original rights holders Fran Rubel Kazui and Kaz Kazui were interested in developing a new film that would take the franchise in a “darker direction” – and they were doing it without the involvement of Buffy creator Joss Whedon.

When the Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series debuted on television in 1997, it was more than a quirky cult hit – it also acted as vindication for Whedon, whose original vision for the 1992 film of the same name had been severely compromised by Kazui Enterprises.  When the movie reboot rumors surfaced, fans were understandably apprehensive about the property reverting back to Kazui, the same people who had so poorly mishandled it in the first place.

It was later reported that Vanessa Hudgens (High School Musical) had been offered the lead role of Buffy and that TV series star Sarah Michelle Gellar might make a cameo appearance. Thankfully, this never materialized and the project seemingly vanished.

Well, now it’s back – Warner Bros. has optioned the rights and a new Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie is officially underway. Charles Roven and Steve Alexander will produce the reboot alongside Roy Lee and Doug Davison of Vertigo Entertainment (How To Train Your Dragon, The Departed).

The script is being written by Whit Anderson and evidently this new take on Buffy‘s mythology was enough to spark Roven’s interest:

“Whit approached us with an exciting idea about how to update Buffy…There is an active fan base eagerly awaiting this character’s return to the big screen. We’re thrilled to team up with Doug and Roy on a re-imagining of Buffy and the world she inhabits. Details of the film are being kept under wraps, but I can say while this is not your high school Buffy, she’ll be just as witty, tough, and sexy as we all remember her to be.”

I know I won’t be alone in declaring that I’m not terribly supportive of this. Whedon has such an offbeat and specific sense of humor. The Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV show had just the right balance of scares and laughs and it did it all with a pitch-perfect tongue-in-cheek attitude. It’s an incredibly difficult tone to achieve. In fact, look no further than the original Buffy movie for an example of how easy it is to screw up.

I’m just not convinced that this is a property that needs updating – especially when new generations of fans continue to discover Whedon’s TV show. The concept -a high school valley girl becomes a hardened vampire slayer – meshed well with Whedon’s unique style of writing, but I’m not sure how it’s going to hold up with a “darker” approach.

Update: It looks like Buffy fans aren’t the only ones saddened by this news. After the story broke, E!‘s Kristin Dos Santos sent an email to Joss Whedon asking how he felt about this development. Here’s his reply:

Kristin, I’m glad you asked for my thoughts on the announcement of Buffy the cinema film. This is a sad, sad reflection on our times, when people must feed off the carcasses of beloved stories from their youths—just because they can’t think of an original idea of their own, like I did with my Avengers idea that I made up myself.

Obviously I have strong, mixed emotions about something like this. My first reaction upon hearing who was writing it was, “Whit Stillman AND Wes Anderson? This is gonna be the most sardonically adorable movie EVER.” Apparently I was misinformed. Then I thought, “I’ll make a mint! This is worth more than all my Toy Story residuals combined!” Apparently I am seldom informed of anything. And possibly a little slow. But seriously, are vampires even popular any more?

I always hoped that Buffy would live on even after my death. But, you know, AFTER. I don’t love the idea of my creation in other hands, but I’m also well aware that many more hands than mine went into making that show what it was. And there is no legal grounds for doing anything other than sighing audibly. I can’t wish people who are passionate about my little myth ill. I can, however, take this time to announce that I’m making a Batman movie. Because there’s a franchise that truly needs updating. So look for The Dark Knight Rises Way Earlier Than That Other One And Also More Cheaply And In Toronto, rebooting into a theater near you.

Leave me to my pain! Sincerely, Joss Whedon.

Meanwhile, Bones creator Hart Hanson just tweeted this picture of Buffy alum David Boreanaz’s reaction to the news:

That pretty much sums it up.

What do you think? Is Buffy the Vampire Slayer ripe for re-imagining or should they leave well enough alone?

Source: Warner Bros. Pictures

Update Source: E! and Twitter.

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