As it dashes towards production, Timur Bekmambetov’s Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is gathering cast members like a frenzied housewife gathers canned goods on a supermarket shopping spree. The film has its Abe, is locking down mentor Henry Sturgess and appears to have found the lady in the future president’s life, with rumours that Robin McLeavy has landed the role of Mary Todd.
This comes from Latino Review’s sources, so while the lads are often reliable about these matters, it means it’s not official yet – and Next Movie did a little checking with her management, who shot down the idea that she’s been offered the role, insisting that she’s simply one of the choices.
McLeavy’s name has been mentioned before as a possible female lead, with the Aussie actress rumoured to be in contention with the likes of Mary Elizabeth Winstead. A relative unknown in these parts, McLeavy has a couple of Australian films to her credit, along with some TV and stage work.
We meet Mary Todd when she’s a twenty something girl that Abe has the hots for. And we know how that romantic situation turns out, since she ends up as Mary Todd Lincoln. Suffice to say that it won’t exactly be a strictly historical portrayal of the woman, but when you already add in the 16th president of the US battling vampires into the mix, the history books are essentially out the window anyway.
Seth Grahame-Smith adapted his genre-blending novel into the script, which Bekmambetov will start shooting shortly for a June 22, 2012 release date.