Fox Finds Its Abe for 'Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter'

Benjamin Walker has signed on to star in Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, Fox’s adaptation of the period vampire novel from Seth Graham-Smith. Timur Bekmambetov is helming the movie, his first since his 2008 hit Wanted, and tells of Lincoln fighting the forces of the undead during the Civil War.

The project is a big coup for the actor, who has been performing on Broadway of late. The actor, repped by WME and Inspire Entertainment, has appeared in movies such as Flags of our Fathers and Kinsey.

But he elbowed his way to the front of the line in the screentests that took place earlier this month to nab the lead role of Honest Abe.

And what a role it is: It calls for the actor to play the famed president from the age of 20 to 55, from boyish and lanky to skilled fighter to middle-aged with trademarked beard.

Another role to watch out for is the part of Henry Sturges, who mentors and trains Abe in the ways of vampire hunting. The studio went after Tom Hardy before he took the role of Bane in The Dark Knight Rises but the part is now open.