Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is a 2012 horror/action film produced by Tim Burton. The screenplay is written by Seth Grahame-Smith, who adapted it to the screen from his novel of the same name.
Plot[]
In 1818, Abraham Lincoln lives in Indiana with his parents, Nancy and Thomas, who works at a plantationowned by Jack Barts. There, Lincoln befriends a young African American boy, William Johnson, 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 Nancy. She falls ill the following day, and dies shortly afterwards. Thomas tells Lincoln that Barts poisoned Nancy.
Nine years later, Lincoln decides to get revenge against Barts. He 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 Sturgess. Sturgess 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, Sturgess tells Lincoln that the vampires in America descend from Adam, a powerful vampire who owns a plantation in New Orleans with his sister, Vadoma. Sturgess also tells Lincoln of the vampires' weakness, silver, and presents him with a silver pocket watch.
In Springfield, Lincoln befriends shopkeeper Joshua Speed, and meets Mary Todd. Though Sturgess warned him not to form any close relationships, Lincoln develops romantic feelings for Mary. While in Springfield, Lincoln hunts vampires named in letters by Sturgess.
Lincoln successfully finds and defeats Barts. Before dying, Barts reveals that Sturgess is also a vampire. Lincoln confronts Sturgess, who reveals that, several years ago, he was attacked and bitten by Adam. Because Sturgess' 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"). Sturgess 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 Todd and begins his political career, campaigning to abolish slavery. Sturgess 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. William is later bitten by Vadoma and dies.
Confederate President Jefferson Davis convinces Adam to deploy his vampires on the front lines. Lincoln orders the confiscation of all the silverware in the area and has it melted to produce silver weapons. Speed, supposedly 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 an upcoming trestle, attack Lincoln, Sturgess, and Johnson. During the fight, in which Speed is killed, Adam learns that the train holds only rocks. Lincoln reveals that Speed's betrayal was a ruse to lure Adam into a trap. Lincoln uses his watch to stab Adam, killing him, and the three escape the train before the burning trestle beneath it collapses. Meanwhile, Mary and the ex-slaves have transported the silver to Gettysburg through the Underground Railroad. 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 soldiers destroy the vampires and eventually win the war. Before the battle, Mary recognizes Vadoma and avenges her son by shooting Vadoma in the head with a silver necklace bearing the sword of one of William's toy soldiers.
Nearly two years later, on April 14, 1865, Sturgess tells Lincoln that the remaining vampires have fled the country. Sturgess 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.
In modern times, Sturgess approaches a man at a bar in Washington, D.C., just as he once did Abraham. Upon slapping his back, a gun falls to the floor.
Cast[]
- Benjamin Walker as Abraham Lincoln
- Dominic Cooper as Henry Sturgess
- Anthony Mackie as Will Johnson
- Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Mary Todd Lincoln
- Rufus Sewell as Adam
- Marton Csokas as Jack Barts
- Jimmi Simpson as Joshua Speed
- Joseph Mawle as Thomas Lincoln
- Robin McLeavy as Nancy Lincoln
- Erin Wasson as Vadoma
- John Rothman as Jefferson Davis
- Cameron M. Brown as Willie Lincoln
- Frank Brennan as Senator Jeb Nolan
- Lux Haney-Jardine as Young Abraham Lincoln
- Curtis Harris as Young Will
- Bill Martin Williams as RR Pastor
- Alex Lombard as Gabrielle
- Raevin Stinson as Prostitute
- Jaqueline Fleming as Harriet Tubman
- John Neisler as Rev. Dresser
- Aaron Toney as Will's Brother
- Meade Patton as Doctor
- Teri Wyble as Henry's Wife
- Lawrence Turner as Pharmacist
- Jake La Botz as Bull Run Private
- Dane Rhodes as Captain Slash
- Earl Maddox as Angry Resident (as Earl H. Maddox)
- John McConnell as Scroll Official
- Bernard Hocke as White House Doctor
- Ritchie Montgomery as Guest #1
- Scott Michael Jefferson as Guest #2
- Pierre Pichon as Meditation Bartender
- Maya M. Marshall as Slave Ball Dancer
- Michael Madary as General
- Alex Bulat as Typographer
- Jillian Batherson as Dancer
- Casey Bundick as Dancer (as Casey Lane Bundick)
- Chelsea Bruland as Dancer
- Edward R. Cox as Dancer
- Kristin Daniel as Dancer
- Brian Paul Falgoust as Dancer
- Tara Francis as Dancer
- Sean Glazebrook as Dancer
- Lauren Hammond as Dancer
- Kelly Hasandras as Dancer
- Brent Phillip Henry as Dancer (as Brent Henry)
- Rianne Herron as Dancer
- Kyle Kahn as Dancer
- Erin Mallory as Dancer
- Laura B. Manning as Dancer
- Jennifer Schemke as Dancer
- Francis Scully as Dancer
- Elsie Semmes as Dancer
- Simeon Sjöberg as Dancer
- Mark C. Stevens as Dancer
- Aaron Thacker-Woodruff as Dancer
Uncredited[]
- Ken Adams as Confederate Soldier/Union Soldier
- Mike Agresta as Senator
- John L. Armijo as Confederate Vampire/Union Soldier
- Mike Bleed as House Slave
- Edrick Browne as Silver Soldier #4
- Tom Bubrig as Diplomat
- Ben Castro as Charlie
- Laura Cayouette as Vadoma Maid
- Edward J. Clare as Congressman
- David A Cole as Sgt. Major
- Rebecca Collins as Townsperson
- Raymond Delaune as Gettysburg Address Supporter
- Jared DePasquale as Vampire Soldier
- Caleb Deschanel as Battlefield Photographer
- Hollie Doker as Dead Girl
- Lorna Street Dopson as Civil War Nurse
- Donna Duplantier as Midwife
- Neil Durr as Union Soldier/Vampire
- Christopher Fontenot as Party Guest/Pedestrian
- David Michael Fordham as Union Soldier
- Seth Grahame-Smith as Texting Man
- Russell M. Haeuser as U.S. Congressman
- Gene Kevin Hames Jr. as Crowd Supporter
- Rex Harsin as Union Soldier
- Bill Heintz as Protester
- Mike Holbrook as Union Bugler
- Nathaniel Holt as Union Soldier
- Jacquelyn Twodat Jackson as Ball Goer
- Sean Keehan as Federal Soldier
- John C. Klein as DC Crowd
- Richie J. Ladner as Union 1st Artillery Sgt.
- Ashley Lambert as Vampire Temptress (voice)
- Cynthia LeBlanc as Civil War Nurse/Upper Class Pedestrian
- Elton LeBlanc as Upper Class Pedestrian / Us Army Major General
- Don Lee as Senator Nolan's Guard
- Stephen Livaudais as Union Soldier
- Travis Wade Locke as Silver Soldier #1
- Vatican Lokey as Vampire Slave Trader
- Juliet Reeves London as Mary's Sister
- Jakel Marshall as White House Butler
- John C. Martin as Protester
- Ken Massey as Illinois Protester
- Brandon Myers as Upper Class Pedestrian
- Taylor Newman as Union Soldier
- Natalie Nicole as Vampire Dancer
- Andrew Niemann as Confederate Vampire Soldier
- Jay Oliver as Pedestrian
- Gustavo I. Ortiz as Protester
- Johnny Otto as Union Soldier
- Timothy Pickles as Upper Class Citizen
- Shane Pinson as Union Soldier
- Steve Rally as Vampire Horseman
- Bradley Randall as Union Soldier
- James Ricker II as Protestor
- Michael Patrick Rogers as Union Soldier
- Todd Schmidt as Vampire
- Andrew Serpas as Doctor
- Christopher Severio as Union Soldier
- Jenny Slaydon as Barmaid
- Chaz Smith as Union Soldier
- Logan Douglas Smith as US Senator
- Terry Lee Smith as Pedestrian
- Brittany Soileau as Gettysburg Address Audience
- Jeremy Spring as Union Soldier
- Charles Stansell as Confederate Soldier
- Jon Stevenson as Slave Musician #1
- Mallory Thompson as Park Victim
- Alan Tudyk as Stephen A. Douglas
- Daniel Vincent as Young Farmer at Speech
- Carl J. Walker as Vampire Bartender
- Kevin Waterman as Vampire Soldier
- Stephen Daniel Wayne as Confederate Vampire Soldier
- Rachel G. Whittle as Vampire Dancer
- McIver Williams as Confederate Soldier
- Travis Hedges Williams as Union Soldier
Production[]
The film Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter was first announced in March 2010 when Tim Burton and Bekmambetov paired to purchase film rights and to finance its development themselves. The book's author, Seth Grahame-Smith, was hired to write the script. Fox beat other studios in a bidding war for rights to the film the following October.
In January 2011, with Bekmambetov attached as director, Walker was cast as Abraham Lincoln. He beat Adrien Brody, Josh Lucas, James D'Arcy, and Oliver Jackson-Cohen for the role. Additional actors were cast in the following February. Filming began in March 2011 in Louisiana. The film had a budget of $99.5 million and was produced in 3D.
Development[]
Music[]
- Main article: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (soundtrack)
Reception[]
Videos[]
| ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Features |
Pee-wee's Big Adventure ·' Beetlejuice · Batman · Edward Scissorhands · Batman Returns · The Nightmare Before Christmas (film) · Ed Wood · Mars Attacks! · Sleepy Hollow · Planet of the Apes · Big Fish · Charlie and the Chocolate Factory · Corpse Bride · Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street · Alice in Wonderland · Dark Shadows · Frankenweenie · Big Eyes · Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children · Dumbo · Beetlejuice Beetlejuice· | |||
| Other |
The Island of Doctor Agor · Doctor of Doom · Stalk of the Celery Monster · Luau · Vincent · Hansel and Gretel · Frankenweenie · Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp · James and the Giant Peach ·Batman Forever · Batman & Robin · The Jar · Conversations with Vincent · The World of Stainboy · Kung Fu · Mannequin · Bones · Here With Me · 9 · Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter · Alice Through the Looking Glass | |||