Steven Spielberg To Finally Make 'Lincoln'?
Filed under: Drama, Newsstand, Dreamworks, Steven Spielberg, War
While doing publicity rounds for a certain fedora-wearing adventurer, Steven Spielberg told German magazine FOCUS that he intends to return his focus to his long delayed biopic of Abraham Lincoln. According to Variety, Spielberg is shelving the Aaron Sorkin-scripted Trial of the Chicago Seven because he is dissatisfied with the script, and could not get the rewrites he wanted due to the WGA strike. Though that is over, it apparently needs some development time not even Tintin will provide.
And yes -- Tintin is still scheduled to begin shooting in early fall, though we still are lacking any casting confirmations. Spielberg says the actor's strike will not delay it, because the film is motion capture.
But back to the Lincoln biopic! It has been kicked around so long that Spielberg's decision is almost a nonevent, but it is still all kinds of exciting because it could begin shooting early next year. Liam Neeson is still attached and has been for the past three years, reportedly amassing research all this time. It will still have that Tony Kushner script, and it is still based on The Uniter: The Genius of Abraham Lincoln, the brilliant biography by Doris Kearns Goodwin.
I really want this to finally come together. Neeson is due for another meaty role like Abraham Lincoln, and there has never been a proper movie made about such an iconic figure. Actually, I don't really think there has been a movie that truly dug into the Civil War, not in the way that can really attract and educate an audience. If anyone is up to the challenge, it's Spielberg.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-12-2008 @ 10:32AM
Bhist said...
I thought Spielberg's film was to be based on Goodwin's "Team of Rivals"?
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5-12-2008 @ 11:19AM
elessar said...
I think Bhist is right. "Team of Rivals" is the basis of Kushner's screenplay.
SOOO glad this is finally coming together. From the moment I first heard about it, I wanted to see it. Maybe Neeson will finally get his overdue Best Actor oscar.
BTW, is there a line in Liam's contract that says he has to die in nearly every movie he's in?
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5-12-2008 @ 2:18PM
Moo said...
I'm pretty sure that "The Uniter" was the original working title for Team of Rivals, so I think everyone is talking about the same book but for some reason Variety was using an outdated title...
Team of Rivals was a great book! I didn't realize, actually, that the biopic would be based on that source material. My anticipation for this just went up a notch.
5-12-2008 @ 12:41PM
Luke G. said...
"there has never been a proper movie made about such an iconic figure"
Please put "Young Mr. Lincoln" on the top of your Netflix queue. ;)
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5-12-2008 @ 3:08PM
Erik A said...
This is going to be so much better than "Young Mr. Lincoln", because almost every sentence in "Team of Rivals" is based on a verifiable historical document. Every word, really. "Young Mr. Lincoln" was basically Henry Fonda in a Lincoln suit. He didn't really look like Henry Fonda, but he sure sounded and acted like him. Hopefully, Liam Neeson will do a better job of making it seem like we are really watching Mr. Lincoln. I don't want to constantly be thinking about an actor, especially a non-American one, while I'm trying to watch a story of truly the best president (and possibly best public figure outside of Jesus Christ) in world history.
When I was reading Team of Rivals, I could not put it down. It's more than seven hundred pages and I think I read it in four or five days. It is the best biography of the best President. I can't wait for this film.
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5-14-2008 @ 4:03AM
Owen said...
I would have to say that "glory" could be considered a movie that truly dug into the civil war in a way that could attract and educate an audience. I could be misinterpreting what you were saying though. Did you mean that no movie has has delved into Lincolns involvement in the civil war?
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5-14-2008 @ 4:49AM
Elisabeth said...
"Glory" totally slipped my mind -- I completely agree with you. I should stop writing at 5am because I am inevitably forgetting the most obvious of movies.
What I was struggling so hard to say was that the Civil War really founders when it comes to films. There's exceptions like "Glory," but generally it is a historical period relegated to cheesy television minis, outdated epics, or movies lost within battle recreations like "Gods and Generals." That's really quite sad, as it is incredibly interesting and vital to American history, yet it gets snubbed quite often, or just used as a backdrop to another story.
And within that yes, I think Lincoln's involvement has been sorely overlooked. There are many fascinating stories within the Civil War, and his is one of them. It is quite surprising that it has never been done, it seems so obvious.
Then again, it's not like Hollywood has made a movie about George Washington either. Ex-presidents are just off limits, I guess, unless they are Kennedy or George W.
5-20-2008 @ 5:00AM
Chris said...
Glory was a really good film but very inaccurate about a lot
of things. Having wrote that,I never change the channel when it comes on. In any event,I am knid of mad that Steven Spielburg isn't "jumping" at the chance to start on this film so it could be ready to go along with President Lincoln's Bicenntenial. This will certanly be one of his top ten films he ever makes.Dare I say it may surpass even Saving Private Ryan.
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8-04-2008 @ 2:21PM
Lee Garrett said...
I am glad he is taking his time and researching well!! Good research will make the difference along with good screen writing and acting. I can hardly wait to see it!!!
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