Burton and Bekmambetov Adapting 'Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter'
Tim Burton may beat Spielberg to the finish line with his own Abraham Lincoln biopic, it seems. The Tim Burton twist? Lincoln is a vampire hunter! The film will be based on the novel Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, which was released to stores today. No doubt Spielberg is now fearing that Burton's adaptation may overshadow his own, more realistic adaptation, and will be delaying it for another unforeseen amount of time.
The novel the film adapts reveals that the President was, of course, an axe-wielding vampire hunter, bent on avenging his mother's death at the hands of the blood suckers. The novel is the second novel by Seth Grahame-Smith to take a well known story and add horror elements to it.
His previous work was Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, a zombie-filled horror take on the Jane Austen classic, which is itself being adapted to film. Natalie Portman will be starring as Elizabeth Bennett and will also be producing the film, while I ♥ Huckabees and Three Kings director David O. Russell rumored to be considered for directing.
Burton and 9 co-producer Timur Bekmambetov reportedly used their own money to fund their acquisition of the novel's film rights. Burton's Alice in Wonderland opens this week, and rumors of Bekmambetov's involvement in a sequel to Wanted continue to swirl. He has had involvement in vampire films before with the 2004 Russian film Night Watch.
Burton's involvement, of course, brings up the obligatory question of whether Johnny Depp will portray the President. You can bet on Helena Bonham Carter's participation, too!
