LincolnBiopic Tagged Articles at Cinematical

I didn't read a single story relaying Robert Redford's The Conspirator casting that didn't mention Steven Spielberg's long delayed Lincoln biopic. Apparently, Variety and Spielberg didn't either, because the director came out to assure everyone that the Civil War was still on.

As Spielberg and history buffs know, he's been trying to get a biopic off the ground for years, with Liam Neeson tapped to play the president. Neeson has supposedly spent years researching the part with every book he can get his hands on. It seemed close to happening last spring, but stalled due to budget and location problems. (That should put filmmaking into perspective a little bit. If Spielberg can't get a film financed, who can?) He's now focusing his energy on his reimagining of Harvey while Tony Kushner revises the Lincoln script.

But Redford's Lincoln-themed film doesn't daunt Spielberg, as well it shouldn't. It's not really a Lincoln film, as it deals with the aftermath of his assassination. That's a topic in and of itself, which is exactly how the director is shrugging off any hints of competition. "We are very happy that Redford will be doing this Lincoln movie. It is completely different from what our DreamWorks Lincoln movie will be, and we believe that it will add to the commercial potential of our film. Lincoln as a subject is inexhaustible." Just don't make us (or Neeson) wait too much longer, Mr. Spielberg. Please?

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.