INTERVIEWS

“Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” explores the secret life of our 16th president, and the untold story that shaped our nation. Filmmakers Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov (Director of “Wanted”) bring a fresh voice to the bloodthirsty lore of the vampire, imagining Lincoln as history’s greatest hunter of the undead. Together with screenwriter Seth Grahame-Smith, they present a portrait of the man and leader we’ve all studied and the seminal events that defined him and our nation – interwoven with the immersive, visceral action of a vampire story.

This story covers 45 years in Abraham Lincoln’s life, from 1820 to 1865, and is set in Kentucky, Illinois, and Louisiana and, of course, the nation’s capital.

“Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” showcases talent from an all-star cast including Benjamin Walker (“Flags of Our Fathers,” “Kinsey,” My Week With Marilyn”) as Lincoln, Anthony Mackie (“The Hurt Locker,” “Notorious,” “Eagle Eye,” Man on a Ledge”) as Lincoln’s valet and friend Will, Mary Elizabeth Winstead (“Factory Girl,” “Black Christmas,” “Live Free or Die Hard,” “Sky High,” “Final Destination 3”) as Mary Lincoln, Rufus Sewell (“The Holiday,” “The Legend of Zorro,” “The Illusionist,” “Paris Je T’aime”) as Adam, the film’s main antagonist and leader of an order of vampires, and model, designer, entrepreneur, and actress Erin Wasson as Vadoma, Adam’s sister.

The Multifaceted Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter

Walker: What’s dangerous about playing an icon is not allowing the character to be human. You must allow Lincoln to be vulnerable or even silly. Luckily, Tim and Timur were open to making Abraham a flawed, funny and conflicted man.

Cooper: Henry finds the young man’s thirst for revenge to be uninteresting, but he sees Abraham being capable of so much more, and thinks he can help him rise above a selfish quest.

Lincoln’s Hunting Mentor Henry

Cooper: Henry is at the top of his game at being a vampire hunter, but he’s also very flamboyant. He enjoys life to its fullest and often goes to extremes in doing so.

The Filmmakers

Mackie: I loved [Bekmambetov’s previous film] “Wanted,” and I loved that “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” is a historical movie that turns history upside-down. And Tim Burton brings a magical aspect to everything he does, and this time he’s presenting a kind of underworld you’ve never seen before.

Abraham and Mary Lincoln

Winstead: The beginning of Abraham and Mary’s relationship is like a romantic comedy. They’re young and there’s a real connection between them. She’s attracted to his intelligence, integrity and humor.

Walker: Mary and Abraham’s relationship complicates his journey because he has to decide what’s more important – his marriage or his vow to slay the undead. As we all know, Abraham is an honest man, so he must ask himself, at what point can he be completely honest with Mary?

Winstead: Mary is not involved in this part of his life, which causes tension. She knows Abraham is hiding something from her, but she cannot ask what it is.

Walker: It’s interesting because that’s something all couples deal with, in the 19th century as well as today. How do you reconcile a relationship with your life’s passion?

The Antagonist

Sewell: Adam, with all his abilities, is a politician and pragmatist, much like Abraham himself. And the wonderful thing is, he gets a chance to meet with Lincoln, warrior-to-warrior, and in a way, president-to-president, because Adam sees himself as the leader of a kind of vampire nation. Adam doesn’t use force against Lincoln, not at first, because he’d much rather have Lincoln on his side.

Sewell: Adam can transition from an erudite, sophisticated and cultured “man” to a creature capable of tearing your head off and sucking your lungs out through a hole in your throat.

Adam’s Alluring Sister Vadoma

Wasson: [Vadoma is] a woman of few words, and an assassin. She and Adam make a good team. She can also be one of the [vampire] guys.