Lincoln

[jigzaw]

Liam Neeson is a brilliant actor, but how on earth is he a good choice to play Lincoln?  He's kind of a tubby dude with a very forceful physical presence and Lincoln was practically skeletal and lanky.  A younger Leonard Nimoy might have been a good candidate.  Maybe Daniel Day-Lewis??

[Stefen]

DDL would be way better than Neeson.

[SiliasRuby]

DDL would be better than everyone but that is a given.

[MacGuffin]

The Lincoln Derby
By: Peter Bart; Variety

Steven Spielberg has made it very clear – he's not giving up on Lincoln.

For several years, Spielberg has been trying to launch his major Lincoln opus, but his project was postponed recently by budget and location problems. Now, Robert Redford has moved into the picture, announcing his own Lincoln project, "The Conspirator," which will start shooting next month with independent financing and a cast headed by James McAvoy and Robin Wright Penn.

Spielberg tells me, "We are very happy that Redford will be doing this Lincoln movie. It is completely different from what our DreamWorks Lincoln movie will be and we believe that it will add to the commercial potential of our film. Lincoln as a subject is inexhaustible."

Spielberg is presently focusing on his "re-imagining" of "Harvey," with Robert Downey Jr. possibly playing the man who sees rabbits.

Meanwhile, Redford's film will mark his first directing gig since the disastrous "Lions for Lambs," which helped sink United Artists' comeback in 2007. The project will mark Redford's return to a political topic – this one's historical, to be sure.

Redford's movie, "The Conspirator," focuses on a young woman charged with conspiring to kill Lincoln. It's being funded by a company headed by Joe Ricketts, who professes to be a history buff.

Spielberg's Lincoln yarn reportedly was to focus on the President's anguish over the length and toll of the Civil War. His script  is being revised by Tony Kushner.

While Spielberg's project will be a DreamWorks production, Redford, long a champion of indie filmmaking, seems bent on remaining outside the studio system. United Artists, which distributed his last film, has gone silent lately.

[Gold Trumpet]

Liam Neeson Quits Spielberg's "Lincoln"

By Garth Franklin
Source: Dark Horizons
Friday July 30th 2010 11:31PM

Liam Neeson Quits Spielberg's "Lincoln"

Though he's been attached for many years, Liam Neeson has revealed to GMTV via Digital Spy that he's no longer involved in Steven Spielberg's long-gestating "Lincoln" biopic.

"I'm not actually playing Lincoln now. I was attached to it for a while, but it's now...I'm past my sell-by date" said Neeson during a talk show interview. The actor is probably referring to age - Neeson is 58 and Lincoln died at 56.

The film is also a long way off from production with Tony Kushner's script still undergoing revisions. Spielberg is committed to shooting "War Horse" next.

[Fernando]

DDL would be way better than Neeson.

looks like your dream may come true...

Daniel Day-Lewis To Play Abraham Lincoln In Steven Spielberg's 'Lincoln'
Will Hit Theaters Fall 2012

The announcement is a massive surprise as earlier this summer Liam Neeson, long attached to the project, revealed that he was no longer involved leaving many to speculate the project was going to be Spielberg's "Napolean." However, things are now in motion with a planned 4th quarter release for the film in 2012.

"Lincoln" will be based on the best-selling book, "Team of Rivals," by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin and featuring a script by Tony Kushner ("Angels In America") it's believed the plot 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."

Even more exciting is that this one is moving quickly with production set to begin in fall 2011 in anticipation of release one year later the fourth quarter of 2012. The project will keep Spielberg busy for the foreseeable future. He's currently working on the WWI drama "War Horse" which he will be prepping for a December 28, 2011 release. On top of that, he's also got "Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn" opening five days before on December 23, 2011 (we're still in mild disbelief; and we figure one of those two films are going to move out of the way). And don't forget about "Monsterpocalypse," a project Spielberg signed on to last month. That is expected to go in front of cameras in January 2012 for a 2013 release.

This is easily the biggest news of the week hands down, and a tremendous exciting development. Daniel Day-Lewis standing in the shoes of Abraham Lincoln is something we can't wait to see, and seems to continue an ongoing run of roles for the actor where he plays old timey Americans (except for "Nine" but let's not talk about that film). We presume this means Lewis' intense preparation begins now so just remember to address him as Abraham next time you drop off some shoes for him to cobble

Link

[Gold Trumpet]

Awesome news. Not only that DDL has been cast but also that movement on the film finally is attaching a release date.

[modage]

That's so crazy.  Poor Neeson.  First his wife, then this!

Also: biopics are boring.

[Stefen]

Yeah, this was headed to be the most boring movie ever but with DDL attached it will be the most exciting movie of all-time.

[polkablues]

He's really going to have to ugly up to play Lincoln.

[Stefen]

^lol. I'm excited about there being an honest Abe walking this earth because you know DDL will be in character for a year or however long this takes to film.

[Bethie]

I'm on board. there is no way this can be bad.




I'm calling Best Picture. Best Actor.

[Ravi]

DDL is the preeminent facial hair actor of our times.

[MacGuffin]

Sally Field Joins Steven Spielberg's Abraham Lincoln Film
Source: Deadline

Two-time Academy Award winner Sally Field will star as Mary Todd Lincoln, wife to the 16th President of the United States, in DreamWorks Studios' "Lincoln" to be directed by Steven Spielberg. The announcement was made today by Spielberg and Stacey Snider, Co-Chairman and CEO of DreamWorks Studios. Sally Field joins Daniel Day-Lewis, who has been cast to play Abraham Lincoln in the Spielberg film. "I'm excited to be working with Sally for the first time," said Steven Spielberg. "I've admired her films and she has always been my first choice to portray all the fragility and complexity that was Mary Todd Lincoln." "To have the opportunity to work with Steven Spielberg and Daniel Day-Lewis and to play one of the most complicated and colorful women in American history is simply as good as it gets " said Sally Field.

Based on the best-selling book, Team of Rivals, by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, the screenplay has been written by the Pulitzer Prize winner, Tony Award winner, and Academy Award nominated writer Tony Kushner. It will be produced by Kathleen Kennedy and Steven Spielberg. It is anticipated that the film 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. Sally Field is a two-time Academy Award winner as Best Actress in a Leading Role for her roles in "Places in the Heart" and ""Norma Rae." Field won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama or Comedy Special for her role in "Sybil." She won her second Emmy for her guest starring role on the long-running drama, "E.R." Her other film credits include "Steel Magnolias," "Mrs. Doubtfire," and "Forrest Gump." Field currently stars in the ABC series "Brothers & Sisters" for which she won an Emmy in 2007. Doris Kearns Goodwin won her Pulitzer Prize for No Ordinary Time, the story of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt and the home front in World War II. Kushner's prize was for his play Angels in America, which later became an Emmy Award-winning television special. He had previously worked with Spielberg on Munich for which he was nominated for an Oscar in the Adapted Screenplay category. Filming is expected to begin in the fall of 2011 for release in the fourth quarter of 2012 through Disney's Touchstone distribution label.

[polkablues]

So Sally Field is still acting. This is new information to me.