Through the forthcoming mashup history movie, the 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies' author says that he wants to 'restore the villainy of vampires in its own small way.'
- Jun 18, 2012
AceShowbiz - Getting closer to the U.S. release of "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter", screenwriter Seth Grahame-Smith took some time to discuss the vampire theme of the movie. Explaining that it will be different from the likes of "True Blood" and the "Twilight Saga" film series, the New York-born scribe said that the mashup history movie is made to honor the real Abraham Lincoln.
"Yes, it's an absolutely ridiculous premise, and we all knew that. But we wanted that joke to end at the title," Grahame-Smith told NY Daily News. "With 'Lincoln', we wanted to make a bloody, badass action movie that just happened to take place in the 1800s. And I know this sounds weird, but we also wanted to honor the real Abraham Lincoln by staying true to some of his real history, and his ideals."
Grahame-Smith additionally said that he wishes to bring back the villainous image of a vampire despite the recent trend of presenting the bloodsucker as a sexy figure in a movie or TV series. "I hope 'Abraham Lincoln' helps restore the villainy of vampires in its own small way," he stated. "There's nothing sexy or brooding about the bloodsuckers Abe dispenses with."
Agreeing with Grahame-Smith, Dominic Cooper who plays Lincoln's mentor Henry Strugess in the film added, "This certainly has all those [entertaining] aspects. If you're a kid, things always become a history lesson. This is a story with truth in it - and then you have these incredible action sequences with a sort of extravagant background."
In "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter", Abe is not only described as an iconic politician, but also as a man who dedicates his life to destroy the vampires with his trusty axe after his mother was killed by those vampires. He continues to hunt the immortal beings all the way through his presidency. Portraying the America's 16th President is Benjamin Walker.
Before the film opens nationwide on June 22, it has received positive reviews and drawn optimism for presenting a "new life into the horror genre." Tony Timpone, former editor of the fantasy magazine Fangoria, said, "It's an over-the-top mashup. It's just opening up the genre to new and interesting things."
"It's always fun to see a mix of characters reinvented for new audiences," Timpone added. "Vampires will always be popular because I can't imagine anyone not wanting to live forever. They're enduring because of that."
