Far removed from the upcoming Abraham Lincoln: Vampire hunter, the Abramham Lincoln biopic coming from Close Encounters director Steven Spielberg will be a much more straight-laced re-telling of his life, and has an ever-growing cast list with some real talent attached; including the two latest editions, Tommy Lee Jones (Men in Black), and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Inception).
Last of the Mohicans star Daniel Day Lewis has already been cast as Lincoln, and will see Tommy Lee Jones portraying Thaddeus Stevens; a congressman who supported abolishing slavery, and helped write the legislation that funded the American Civil War; while Gordon-Levitt will appear as Robert Todd Lincoln; Abraham’s eldest, and longest surviving, son.
Sally Field (Mrs Doubtfire) is also attached to star as Mary Todd (Robert’s mother, and Abraham Lincoln’s wife), and may also be joined onscreen by James Spader (Stargate), John Hawkes (Deadwood), Bruce McGill (Law Abiding Citizen), Tim Blake Nelson (O Brother, Where Art Thou?), Boris McGiver (Taxi), Byron Jenings (A Time to Kill), and David Costabile (The Bounty Hunter); who, along with a host of other actors, are currently in negotiations to star in the film.
Aiming to tell the story of Lincoln’s quest to abolish slavery, and struggle to end the Civil War, Spielberg’s biopic will begin shooting this coming autumn (in Virginia), and is due to receive its theatrical release in late 2012.
Matt Wheeldon.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter.
