More Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter news this morning as Dateline reports Joaquin Phoenix has been offered the role of Honest Abe’s immortal mentor Henry, who teaches the Pres to toss axes at evil vampires.
Joaquin Phoenix is the front-runner to play the mentor who teaches the 16th President how to kill bloodsuckers in Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter for 20th Century Fox. Phoenix has met on the project and I’m told that it’s his if he wants it. He would join Benjamin Walker, who last Thursday was set to play the title character in the Timur Bekmambetov-directed adaptation of the Seth Grahame-Smith novel whose producers include Tim Burton.
To be honest, as crazy in real life as Phoenix seems to be, he’s generally always a joy to watch on screen. This news is all good for me, which is nice, considering I’m still reeling over the terrible casting of Walker as Lincoln. While Walker is surely a fine actor, rather tall and he has Abe’s nose, he is otherwise a very imposing figure, strapping and thick. I wish they had gone with Adrian Brody, who pulls off the toned tough guy while still seeming thin.
