Producer Jim Lemley spoke at the University of Idaho on Monday, to students in the College of Business as part of the 2011 Spring Executive Speaker Series. Lemley is alumni, a 1988 marketing graduate. /Film reader Dustin sent in a report from Lemley's presentation (I have confirmed his appearance with the college), where the producer revealed some details about his current project, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, and talked about the possibility of Wanted 2. You can read Dustin's report after the jump.
I attend the University of Idaho where Jim Lemley is an alumnus. Jim visited my business class today as a guest speaker mainly talking about how he chooses projects and how projects come together, Lemley used his current production of Abe Lincoln Vampire Hunter to exemplify those things. As an avid reader of /Film I took notes on what I was hearing and seeing during Lemley's presentation.
To start with, Ben Walker looks amazing as Lincoln in the photos shown today by Lemley; they did a great job of dressing him up into a spot-on image of Lincoln. Walker will be portraying Lincoln from ages 22-death.
Contrary to the IMDB listing Joaquin Phoenix is not a lock for the role of Henry Sturgess as of yet. Judging Lemley's body language I would say Phoenix is the one he wants for that part.
As already reported the film will be made in 3-D.
Lemley showed part of the script written by Seth Grahame-Smith, author of the book, and it contains a lot of direction which leads me to believe it will be very close to the book.
My class was shown a 3-minute pre-visualization during Lemley's presentation and it looked awesome; it's the first action sequence of the film. The scene was set outside of New Orleans and Lincoln and a vampire were locked in battle in the middle of a stampede of horses. The action sequence was much in the vein of Wanted (which is no surprise considering the director). Like everyone else my favorite parts of Wanted were the action sequences so I think having the same sort of action in Vampire Hunter is good news. After seeing the pre-viz I am very excited for this movie. Just some other bits of info the producers are committed to being historically accurate and the film will have a very dark feel to it.
Additionally, Lemley is also a producer on Wanted and of course someone in my class asked about Wanted 2. I hate to say it but Wanted 2 sounds like it will not happen any time soon if at all.
