Variety reports Benjamin Walker has landed the much sought-after lead role in Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. And when I read the news, my first reaction was probably similar to yours: "Who is Benjamin Walker?" Walker, best known for his role in Clint Eastwood's Flags of Our Fathers, should be starting work on the project in March after beating out an impressive batch of actors that included Adrien Brody, Josh Lucas, and James D'Arcy, as well as Faster's Oliver Jackson-Cohen.Back in December, The Wrap reported Eric Bana was meeting with Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter director Timur Bekmambetov for the part of Honest Abe, but either that meeting didn't happen or nothing came of it as Walker's now officially signed up for the role.
Per the official website for Seth Grahame-Smith's book, here's the synopsis: "Indiana, 1818. Moonlight falls through the dense woods that surround a one-room cabin, where a nine-year-old Abraham Lincoln kneels at his suffering mother's bedside. She's been stricken with something the old-timers call 'Milk Sickness.' 'My baby boy...' she whispers before dying. Only later will the grieving Abe learn that his mother's fatal affliction was actually the work of a vampire. When the truth becomes known to young Lincoln, he writes in his journal, 'henceforth my life shall be one of rigorous study and devotion. I shall become a master of mind and body. And this mastery shall have but one purpose...' Gifted with his legendary height, strength, and skill with an ax, Abe sets out on a path of vengeance that will lead him all the way to the White House."
20th Century Fox is aiming for a June 2012 release.
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(Photo of Benjamin Walker by Jason Kempin / Getty Images)
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