If being offered the lead role in “Snow White And The Huntsman” didn’t tip you off, Tom Hardy is one of the hottest talents in Hollywood right now. His turn in “Inception” made it known to a wider audience what those who saw “Bronson” already knew; the actor is the real deal and has the charisma and skill to be a major leading man. So, no surprise then that with ‘Huntsman’ now trying to land Johnny Depp to lead the film, Hardy has been offered the role of Henry Sturgess in another tentpole vehicle, “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.”
The part is an interesting one. The film is based on the book by Seth Grahame-Smith which is based on the faux diaries of the president given to the author by a vampire named Henry Sturgess. Sturgess saved Lincoln’s life when he battles a vampire as a teenager, and the two become fast friends. Sturgess teaches Lincoln about the history of vampirism, trains him in combat, and sends the president to hunt and kill evil vampires. It’s a meaty supporting role for sure, and as much as we’d love to see Hardy in it, it’s unlikely he’ll take it on.
“Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” is set to hit theaters on June 22, 2012 a full month before “The Dark Knight Rises” hits on July 20, 2012. With Hardy’s window already fairly tight — he wraps “This Means War” in December and is set to begin on “The Dark Knight Rises” in the spring — it will be a remarkably tight squeeze to get this film in. But if director Timur Bekmambetov holds to his plan to shoot this winter and production can come together remarkably fast, we suppose anything is possible, but don’t be surprised if more names surface in the coming days.
The film will be produced by Tim Burton and released by 20th Century Fox.