For those of you unfamiliar, Stephen Spielberg will direct, Daniel Day Lewis, 54, will portray Lincoln, and Sally Field, 64, will play his wife Mary Todd. In real life Lincoln was 9 years Mary's senior, whereas the reverse is true for the stars. Liam Neeson, 58, was originally attached to star, but despite his resemblance to Lincoln, he reportedly felt he was a little too old for the part. There was a question whether Field would remain after Neeson’s departure, but she was locked-in mid-April. Despite her age (Lincoln’s First Lady served from the age of 43-47), it’s either Field’s Sybil qualities (Mary Todd was rumored to have been mad or driven to madness by circumstances), or it could also be the two’s resemblance at play. Tommy Lee-Jones and Joseph Gordon-Levitt have inked deals, and many other names have already signed on, or are still in negotiations. Regardless, with 6 Academy Awards between the director and leads alone, Lincoln should be a contender for sure.

The film is based on Doris Kearns Goodwin’s book, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. It examines Lincoln’s surprising 1860 nomination above fellow Republicans, William H. Seward, Salmon P. Chase and Edward Bates, and his subsequent triumph at persuading those same nay-sayers to join his cabinet as Secretary of State, Secretary of the Treasury and Attorney General respectively. Goodwin posits that had Lincoln not won the loyalty of that venerable team, the United States may not have survived the Civil War and the politics surrounding emancipation. Goodwin won the Pulitzer Prize in 1995 for history. Tony Kushner will write the adaptation. Kushner is also a Pulitzer Prize winner (for Angels In America) and was nominated for an Oscar for his co-penned screenplay, Munich, also helmed by Spielberg.

As discussed in a prior post, Virginia’s film incentives played a part in Spielberg’s choice to shoot in Richmond and Petersburg. According to the Governor’s office, the illustrious director was offered a total of $4.6 million: $1 million from the Governor’s Motion Picture Opportunity Fund, $2.5 million in state tax credits and $1.1 million in in-kind contributions (non-cash offerings, such as goods and services). The new tax credit legislation (up to 20%) for film companies shooting in the state, and spending at least $250,000, was passed in 2010. Virginia gets good marks for its economic health, and perhaps the hoped-for success of this film will be a harbinger of greater incentives to come.

Spielberg’s decision wasn’t based only on the incentives, as Rita McClenny of the Virginia Film Office points out. “Spielberg could have received about three times the incentives from Georgia or North Carolina, compared with Virginia's offer.” However, according to Spielberg, “Virginia's rich historic legacy, coupled with the remarkable period architecture found in Richmond and Petersburg, make Central Virginia the ideal location for this production.”

Principal photography is scheduled for this fall and the film is slated for a 2012 release. My only other hope is that there will be roles for Virginia’s female actors, as so far, there have only been casting calls for men.