| Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter | |
|---|---|
| |
| Directed by | Timur Bekmambetov |
| Produced by | Tim Burton Timur Bekmambetov Jim Lemley |
| Starring |
Benjamin Walker |
| Music by | Henry Jackman |
| Cinematography | Caleb Deschanel |
| Editing by | William Hoy |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
| Release | June 22, 2012 |
| Running time | 105 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $69 million |
| Gross revenue | $116,471,580 |
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is a 2012 American action fantasy film directed by Timur Bekmambetov, based on the 2010 mashup novel of the same name. The novel's author, Seth Grahame-Smith, wrote the screenplay with Simon Kinberg. Benjamin Walker stars as the title character. The real-life figure Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States (1861–1865), is portrayed in the novel and the film as having a secret identity as a vampire hunter.
The film was produced by Tim Burton, Bekmambetov and Jim Lemley. Filming began in Louisiana in March 2011 and the film was released in 3D on June 20, 2012 in the United Kingdom and June 22, 2012 in the United States.
Plot[]
In 1818, Abraham Lincoln (Benjamin Walker) lives in Indiana with his parents, Nancy (Robin McLeavy) and Thomas (Joseph Mawle), who works at a plantation owned by Jack Barts (Marton Csokas). There, Lincoln befriends a young African American boy, William Johnson (Anthony Mackie), and intervenes when he sees Johnson being beaten by a slaver. Because of his son's actions, Thomas is fired. That night, Lincoln sees Barts break into his house and attack his mother. Nancy falls ill the following day, and dies shortly afterwards. Thomas tells Lincoln that Barts poisoned her.
Nineteen years later, a vengeful Lincoln attacks Barts at the docks, but Barts, who is actually a vampire, overpowers him. However, before Barts can kill him, Lincoln is rescued by Henry Sturges (Dominic Cooper). Sturges explains that vampires exist, and offers to teach Lincoln to be a vampire hunter. Lincoln accepts and, after a decade of training, travels to Springfield, Illinois. During his training, Sturges tells Lincoln that the vampires in America descend from Adam (Rufus Sewell), a vampire who owns a plantation in New Orleans with his sister, Vadoma (Erin Wasson). Sturges also tells Lincoln of the vampires' weakness, silver, and presents him with a silver pocket watch.
In Springfield, Lincoln befriends shopkeeper Joshua Speed (Jimmi Simpson), and meets Mary Todd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). Though Sturges warned him not to form any close relationships, Lincoln develops romantic feelings for Mary.
Lincoln successfully finds and defeats Barts. Before dying, Barts reveals that Sturges is also a vampire. Lincoln confronts Sturges, who reveals that, centuries ago, he was attacked and bitten by Adam. Because Sturges' soul was impure, he became a vampire, and that prevented him from harming Adam or any other vampire (since "Only the living can kill the dead"). Sturges has since been training vampire hunters, hoping to destroy Adam.
Disappointed, Lincoln decides to abandon his mission. However, Adam learns of his activities and kidnaps Johnson to lure Lincoln into a trap at his plantation. Adam captures Lincoln and tries to recruit him, revealing his plans to turn the United States into a nation of the undead. Speed rescues his friends, and they escape to Ohio.
Lincoln marries Mary and begins his political career, campaigning to abolish slavery. Sturges warns Lincoln that the slave trade keeps vampires under control, as vampires use slaves for food, and if Lincoln interferes, the vampires will retaliate. After Lincoln's election as President of the United States of America, he moves to the White House with Mary, where they have a son, William Wallace Lincoln (Cameron M. Brown). However, tragedy strikes when William is later bitten by a disguised Vadoma and dies.
Confederate President Jefferson Davis (John Rothman) convinces Adam to deploy his vampires on the front lines, and their appearance on the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg terrorizes the Union Army as their weapons prove ineffective on them.
Lincoln orders the confiscation of all the silverware in the area and has it melted to produce silver weapons. Speed, believing that Lincoln is tearing the nation apart, defects and informs Adam that Lincoln will transport the silver by train.
On the train, Adam and Vadoma, who have set fire to the upcoming trestle, attack Lincoln, Sturges, and Johnson. During the fight Adam learns that the train holds only rocks, not the silver. Speed then reveals that his betrayal was a ruse planned by him and Lincoln to lure Adam into a trap, and Adam kills Speed for this. The bridge begins to collapse, and Lincoln, with Johnson make an escape.
Lincoln then uses his silver watch to stab Adam, killing him, and the three escape the train before it explodes. Meanwhile, Mary and the ex-slaves have transported the silver to Gettysburg through the Underground Railroad. There, Mary spots Vadoma and kills her, avenging William's death. The now leaderless Confederate vampires stage a final, massive assault and are met head on by the Union. Armed with their silver weapons, the Union Infantry destroy the vampires and eventually win the war.
Nearly two years later, on April 14, 1865, Sturges tells Lincoln that the remaining vampires have fled the country. Sturges tries to convince Lincoln to allow him to turn Lincoln into a vampire, so that he can become immortal and continue to fight vampires, but Lincoln declines before going to the theater with his wife on that fateful night. In modern times, Sturges approaches a man at a bar in Washington, D.C., as he hopes that man will become the next vampire hunter.
Cast[]
- Benjamin Walker as Abraham Lincoln, a secret vampire hunter, who serves as the 16th President of the United States and the main protagonist.
- Lux Haney-Jardine as Young Abraham Lincoln
- Dominic Cooper as Henry Sturges, Lincoln's mentor in vampire hunting, a former vampire hunter, and a vampire who lost his wife and humanity to vampires.
- Anthony Mackie as William Johnson, Lincoln's earliest and closest friend.
- Curtis Harris as Young Will
- Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Mary Todd Lincoln, Lincoln's wife.
- Rufus Sewell as Adam, the powerful leader of an order of vampires.
- Marton Csokas as Jack Barts, a plantation owner and the vampire who killed Lincoln's mother.
- Jimmi Simpson as Joshua Speed, Lincoln's friend and assistant.
- Joseph Mawle as Thomas Lincoln, Lincoln's father.
- Robin McLeavy as Nancy Lincoln, Lincoln's mother.
- Erin Wasson as Vadoma, Adam's sister.
- John Rothman as Jefferson Davis
- Cameron M. Brown as William Wallace Lincoln, Abraham and Mary's third son.
- Frank Brennan as Senator Jeb Nolan
- Jaqueline Fleming as Harriet Tubman
- Alan Tudyk as Stephen A. Douglas, an American politician from Illinois.
External links[]
- Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter at the Internet Movie Database