Spielberg Casts Daniel Day-Lewis as Lincoln

Remember Lincoln? The movie Steven Spielberg was supposed to direct with Liam Neeson set to star but films such as Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal SkullThe Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn and War Horse always seemed to get in the way? Then news of Robopocalypse cropped up recently, which seemed to put a nail in the project, especially after it was learned Neeson was no longer lined up for the lead role. Well, scratch all that, because it’s back.

In a press release sent out today, Spielberg and Stacey Snider, Co-Chairman and CEO of DreamWorks Studios announced Daniel Day-Lewis had been cast in the lead role as Lincoln with filming expected to begin in the fall of 2011 for release in the fourth quarter of 2012 through Disney’s Touchstone distribution label.

Quoted in the release Spielberg said, “Daniel Day-Lewis would have always been counted as one of the greatest of actors, were he from the silent era, the golden age of film or even some time in cinema’s distant future. I am grateful and inspired that our paths will finally cross with Lincoln”

“Throughout his career, he has been exceptionally selective in his choice of material,” added Stacey Snider, “which makes us feel even more fortunate that he has chosen to join with us for Lincoln.”

Pulitzer Prize winner, Tony Award winner, and Academy Award nominated writer Tony Kushner penned the screenplay, which is an adaptation of Doris Kearns Goodwin’s book “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln.” The story will focus on the political collision of Lincoln and the powerful men of his cabinet on the road to abolition and the end of the Civil War.

Robopocalypse, an adaptation of Daniel H. Wilson’s book of the same name exploring the fate of the human race following a robot uprising, was always looking to begin shooting in January 2012 for a 2013 release through Touchstone Pictures. So Lincoln looks like it will come right after The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn, which is set for a December 23, 2011 release, and War Horse releasing on December 28, with Robopocalypse to follow.


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