Daniel Day-Lewis to Play Abraham Lincoln in Biopic

Daniel Day-Lewis to Play Abraham Lincoln in Biopic

Movie News

By our guest blogger, Matt Jussim

Steven Speilberg's biopic of President Lincoln has been simmering in Hollywood development hell for a few years now.

For most of that time it was known that Liam Neeson was set to play President Abraham Lincoln in said biopic. And for many years, it seemed as if the film was always in pre-production, never to see the light of day. Then in August Neeson dropped out of playing the President, which left the film's future in doubt yet again.

Doubt no more.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Academy Award-winning actor Daniel Day-Lewis has signed on to play the iconic President for Spielberg's film, which will begin filming next fall.

The story will be based on the best-selling Doris Kearns Goodwin book "Team Of Rivals," but renamed "Lincoln."

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner ("Angels in America") has penned the screenplay. In a press release, DreamWorks said the film will focus on “the political collision of Lincoln and the powerful men of his cabinet on the road to abolition [of slavery] and the end of the Civil War.”

Of Lewis, Spielberg said: "Daniel Day-Lewis would have always been counted as one of the greatest of actors, were he from the silent era, the golden age of film or even some time in cinema's distant future. I am grateful and inspired that our paths will finally cross with Lincoln."

Day-Lewis is known for his commitment to roles, as well as the fact that he doesn’t take on too many of them. He recently starred in the musical "Nine" and before that took home his second Best Actor nomination for Paul Thomas Anderson's "There Will Be Blood." Day-Lewis played oil man Daniel Plainview, turning in one of Hollywood's all-time best performances.

Although I had previously though Neeson was the perfect actor to portray Lincoln, this matchup is even better. Day-Lewis is easily the best actor of this generation and his commitment to his work is unbelievable. While on the set of his films the man doesn't break character, so anyone who is on the crew of this up coming film should be prepared to see the most realistic version of the iconic President as they probably ever will.

The film is scheduled to begin filming in the fall of 2011, with an anticipated release in the fall of 2012.

Here's a super duper early Oscar prediction: Daniel Day-Lewis wins one for this role.