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'Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter' Set Visit: Meet Benjamin Walker, President And Hero

Posted 1/17/12 2:00 pm EST by in Video


Visiting the set of "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" is not unlike stepping into an elaborate joke. There's the Oval Office, Congress, a guy in a top hat and a beard... carrying an axe and fighting a vampire. It's a little bit more out there than Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln" biopic, to say the least.

Speaking to MTV in this exclusive behind-the-scenes clip, Benjamin Walker, who plays the reimagined Lincoln, downplayed the departure.

"He's the Abraham Lincoln we know; he's the hero," he told us. "In this context, he is also an action hero."

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Adrien Brody, 4 Others Up For Title Role In 'Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter': Who Should It Be? [POLL]

Posted 1/14/11 10:47 am EST by in Casting Call, News


Adrien BrodyWhile we might have lost Daniel Day-Lewis to a full-fledged "Abraham Lincoln" biopic, we still have high hopes that a worthy actor will tackle the title role in "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" -- and now we're one step closer to finding out who that is.

The Timur Bekmambetov-directed adaptation of Seth Grahame-Smith's novel has been testing a variety of known and unknown actors for the part, according to Deadline. Unfortunately, none of them is Eric Bana, who had been rumored for the part.

Adrien Brody is probably the most surprising name on the list, but we're suspecting he's looking for a true blockbuster after "Splice" and "Predators" failed to attract a wide audience despite decent reviews. Josh Lucas is also one of the better-known actors in the running. Read More...

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'Apollo 18,' Not To Be Confused With 'Apollo 13,' Calls To Mind Other Similarly Titled But Very Different Films

Posted 11/8/10 1:57 pm EST by in News


Apollo 13Director Timur Bekmambetov has been tapped to produce "Apollo 18" for The Weinstein Company, but before you go thinking that it has anything to do with the previously released "Apollo 13," think again: This movie is an alien-themed found footage sci-fi thriller, while "Apollo 13" is the Oscar-winning true story about a space mission gone wrong.

The titles are very close to one another, so it's certainly forgivable if you mixed the two up. Indeed, it's a common problem throughout cinema -- with so many films in existence, there are bound to be some confusingly similar titles here and there.

After the jump, check out some other similarly titled movies that couldn't be more different from each other! Read More...

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'Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter' Gets A Release Date (From Fox) And Some Casting Ideas (From Us)

Posted 11/1/10 1:52 pm EST by in Casting Call, News


Abraham Lincoln: Vampire HunterWhat with "Twilight" and "Vampire Diaries" and Halloween, vampires are so hot right now. So it's no wonder that 20th Century Fox has set "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" to hit theaters on June 22, 2012, and casting in now underway on the pic, which rewrites history so that America's 16th president was secretly a vampire killer.

The film -- which is being directed by "Wanted" helmer Timur Bekmambetov, produced by Tim Burton and written by the book's author Seth Grahame-Smith (also of "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" renown) -- has the tough task of casting someone as one of the tallest and most recognizable people in our nation's history. But, hey, if Brendan Fraser could play Lincoln in "Bedazzled," then surely we can come up with a few actors that will do justice to the role of the president, vampire slayer and all-around beard enthusiast. Hit the jump for our picks. Read More...

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Timur Bekmambetov To Direct 'Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter,' Probably Next

Posted 8/11/10 10:31 am EST by in News


This news actually broke two days ago, but I haven't gotten to it until now. Still, great to hear. Timur Bekmambetov, whose particular aesthetic and sense of action turned the (very loose) adaptation of Mark Millar comic "Wanted" into something special, is now committed to directing "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter," which he is also producing with Tim Burton. Bekmambetov told Empire, "That one I’m prepping to direct myself. It is not a comedy at all – it is a very entertaining, epic history lesson for millions and millions of teenagers. If you remember 'Nightwatch,' it is maybe in the vein of that kind of movie."

I'm a little concerned at the idea of "Vampire Hunter" being considered a "history lesson." I've read (and loved) the book, and while it's filled with factual information about the sixteenth U.S. president's life, it's also ultimately a story about him hunting vampires. Bekmambetov also mentions that there are "many opportunities to develop and explore this world" in sequels. That much is certainly true; while the book is focused on Lincoln's life, from his birth to his eventual assassination, a larger vampire mythos is established as the story progresses. It certainly would be interesting to explore that in future films, especially if the novel's author, Seth Grahame-Smith continues to be involved.

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Timur Bekmambetov Wants To Remake 'Black Lightning' For U.S. Audiences

Posted 7/1/10 4:52 pm EST by in News


Timur Bekmambetov gives awesome movie. The dude just has an eye for things that look really cool. So the news that he's going to revisit one of his Russian films and spin out a new take for American audiences is particularly exciting.

"Black Lightning" is the title. Variety's story cites Bekmambetov as saying that it is "a Slavic 'Transformers' meets 'Batman,'" which basically means I'm sold. The story follows a car-obsessed student who tricks out his own ride and uses it to take on the criminal underground. Neat. Variety also reports that the filmmaker is moving ahead with an adaptation of Seth Grahame-Smith's novel "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter," which Bekmambetov is producing with Tim Burton. Next up is an English-language production to be shot this summer in Russia, alien invasion thriller "The Darkest Hour."

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Aziz Ansari In '30 Minutes Or Less,' Taylor Kitsch To 'Battleship' In Today's Dailies -- 4/8/10

Posted 4/8/10 4:00 pm EST by in Dailies


Aziz Ansari-- Aziz Ansari is in talks to star in "30 Minutes or Less," an upcoming comedy directed by "Zombieland" helmer Ruben Fleischer. Danny McBride is reportedly in negotiations to co-star. In the movie, Ansari's character is forced to rob a bank after he and his buddy come into unfortunate contact with a bomb vest. [The Hollywood Reporter]

-- Happy birthday to Taylor Kitsch, indeed! The "John Carter of Mars" actor has snagged the leading role in director Peter Berg's "Battleship," on his birthday no less! [Heat Vision]

-- Remember the high profile New York City car crash that occurred during filming for "The Sorcerer's Apprentice?" It sounds as though the crash was for a good cause, as co-star Jay Baruchel explains: "No one expects there to be Ferrari chases or whatever in this movie, but we have the sickest car chase this year, for sure." [MTV.com] Read More...

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'Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter' Author Seth Grahame-Smith Creating An 'Effects-Heavy Period Movie'

Posted 3/24/10 2:55 pm EST by in News


One of the best books you'll read this year is the just-released "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter," by Seth Grahame-Smith. No, really. It's a clever re-telling of the 16th president's life, only tweaked to include a vast, vampire-led conspiracy in the early life of the United States, through the slavery years and into the Civil War.

We reported a couple weeks ago that Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov optioned the book for a film adaptation, and will serve as producers. Although Grahame-Smith is now preparing a draft of the script for the planned movie, he was kind enough to take some time out of his busy schedule to chat with MTV last week about how the book came together and how it will be executed for film audiences. Read More...

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Summit Moves From Vampires To Witches For 'The Last Witch Hunter'

Posted 3/16/10 12:00 pm EST by in News


Summit has had an incredible run these past few years. Yes, it's thanks in no small part to "Twilight." But don't discount the cred -- both street and dollars -- they've earned from "The Hurt Locker," "The Brothers Bloom," "The Ghost Writer," "Once" and -- if you go back far enough -- fan and critical faves "Memento," "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" and "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas."

The point of all this is: when Summit picks up a shiny, new original pitch, I'm going to sit up and pay attention. Especially when said pitch involves hunting witches under the watchful eye of "Wanted" director Timur Bekmambetov. This is apparently happening. Read More...

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Tim Burton And Timur Bekmambetov To Produce 'Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter' Adaptation

Posted 3/3/10 11:30 am EST by in News


I hope you've read "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" by now, appreciated the brilliance of author Seth Grahame-Smith's deft fusion of Jane Austen's 19th century romance with the walking dead. We already know that Natalie Portman is working on a big screen adaptation, and now there's also similar news for Grahame-Smith's latest, which hit shelves this week.

"Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" puts forth the idea that America's 16th president dedicated himself to crushing the vampire menace and their slave-owning allies after his mother dies at the hands of a blood sucker. Now this is a vampire pitch I can get behind. Read More...

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