Timur Bekmambetov and Benjamin Walker Talk Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

For Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter?s trailer launch, 20^th Century Fox brought out director Timur Bekmambetov and star Benjamin Walker to talk about the movie. But not just anywhere, they brought them to Springfield, Illinois ? the home of Lincoln?s tomb and his library and museum. We got a chance to talk to the two about the film and about Lincoln in the museum, after having been shown the film?s teaser and a couple of clips.? Check out our exclusive interview with the two after the jump.? Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter opens June 22.

Before going any further, here?s the domestic and international teaser trailer for the film.

Because it?s a vampire movie, the footage presentation and our interviews were conducted in the dead of night. But spirits were high (and not just because of the free booze) after the trailer and footage presentation. We were given a time and question limit, so we asked about two things, basically, how much of Lincoln they put in the movie, and what they would tell audiences about the film that the trailer didn?t cover. As Bekmambetov notes, this is meant to be a teaser, and the meat of the project will be coming as we get closer to the movie. As the film is both an A-list production, but ? as Walker notes ? not based on a franchise, they need audiences willing to give an odd idea a try.

Here?s the time index/transcript followed by the interview:

• 0:23 ? Benjamin Walker:? What?s great about it ? and the fact that it is this kind of movie ? is we can re-examine Abraham Lincoln as a human being. He?s an idol, we put him on a pedestal and see him as a a sacred figure, and we kind of distant ourselves from him.?
• 1:00 ? Timur Bekmambetov : ?For me it?s a person who can take responsibility to make a decision because we live in a world where everything?s kind of? gray. There?s no black and white.?
• 1:30 ? Benjamin Walker: Re: Slavery ?But at the time half the country would disagree with you. It?s important to look at how complicated it was for him to make that decision?
• 2:16 ? Benjamin Walker:? ?I imagine there will be some people who are skeptical, and I would say give us a shot, because the landscape of of movies where we have a bunch of reboots and sequels, franchises and toy movies, we?re doing something new.?
• 2:43 ? Timur Bekmambetov : ?Its? not a trailer, it?s a teaser. Let?s wait for the trailer.?

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1924578/news/1924578/

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