Welcome to Benjamin Walker Online, your first and only source on the web dedicated to rising actor Benjamin Walker, who is making a splash in Hollywood as he gears up to play the axe-wielding title character in 2012′s “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter”. BWO will be your one-stop shop for everything Ben, with all the latest news, comprehensive info on him and his career, the largest image gallery online, and much more! Stay tuned as we continue to chronicle the path of this exciting new talent.

Ben has found his Mrs. Abraham Lincoln! Today it’s been confirmed that Mary Elizabeth Winstead – star of last summer’s “Scott Pilgrim vs the World” – will be playing Mary Todd (eventually Lincoln) in “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter”. Yay! LOVE HER!

Earlier reports that said Australian actress Robin McLeavy had been cast in the role are false.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead is Mary Todd in “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter”

This time it’s official, guys. Mary Elizabeth Winstead, one of our favorites here at Up and Comers and so often shortlisted for high profile roles to come along in recent months, has officially been cast as Mary Todd (eventually Lincoln), love interest and female lead to Benjamin Walker’s axe-wielding, vampire-killing 16th President in “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter”, THR reports today. Earlier reports from Latino Review had little known Aussie actress Robin McLeavy taking the role but it was quickly debunked by her reps.

Winstead has already shared her elation at the news on Twitter, proclaiming “I am happy. That’s all for now.” and then several minutes later linking THR’s report of the news. She will join a whole cast of fellow up and comers, including Dominic Cooper as Lincoln’s vampire mentor, Henry Sturgess, Anthony Mackie as Abe’s best friend Will and maybe Scoot McNairy as sidekick Josh Speed. Timur Bekmambetov directs the Tim Burton-produced film from a script by Seth Grahame-Smith, adapted from his own novel that casts a mostly historically accurate portrait of Lincoln, with the added twist that he also hunts vampires under the cover of night, and makes some of his most influential and revolutionary political decisions with that goal in mind.

This is the first big role Winstead has landed after breaking out as dream girl Ramona Flowers in last summer’s “Scott Pilgrim vs the World”. Since then she’s been a finalist in every high profile casting from Cameron Crowe’s “We Bought a Zoo” (eventually landed by Scarlett Johansson) to Joss Whedon’s “The Avengers” (he gave it to his Wonder Woman Cobie Smulders) and Zack Snyder’s “Superman”, though her casting in “Lincoln” surely takes her out of the running to be Lois Lane.

“Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” is set to begin production next month for a release on June 22, 2012.

I’ve added all the pictures I have of Ben starring as President Andrew Jackson in “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson”, from rehearsals, to its Los Angeles run, all the way through Broadway. Check out Ben’s claim to fame (thus far) in the gallery below!

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1,074 x Theatre Roles > Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson > All Images

Huge congrats to Ben, he will be playing another American President as he just won the title role in “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter”! I loved the book and Ben was definitely my #1 choice for the role, so this is really exciting! The film will be released on June 22, 2012.

Benjamin Walker will be “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter”

Count us in for this perfect casting on one of our most highly anticipated projects. Benjamin Walker has officially signed on to play the title role in Timur Bekmambetov’s “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter”, reports Variety. 20th Century Fox was said to be keen on the Broadway veteran and film newcomer but continued testing other actors, as previously reported, Adrien Brody, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Josh Lucas, Timothy Olyphant and James D’Arcy. Walker’s deal closed late Thursday.

Walker will play the 16th President of the United States but with one giant twist. Adapted by Seth Grahame-Smith from his own novel of the same name, the story follows Lincoln throughout his life and keeps every major historical event intact but with this added motivation: Every action Lincoln takes, including starting the Civil War and ending slavery, is acted out of a desire to rid the world of vampires, one of whom killed his mother and his first love.

Walker has won raves for playing another President – Andrew Jackson – in the recently closed Broadway musical “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson” and was signed on, then fired from playing Beast in Fox’s “X-Men: First Class” for being too old. He was replaced by Nicholas Hoult. It appears the relationship between the actor and the studio has been patched up now that they will team up on Abe, a project that would surely be an even bigger breakout role for Walker than X-Men would have been.

There is no word yet on who will play Lincoln’s vampire mentor, Henry Sturgess, though earlier reports said Fox was pursuing the now very busy Tom Hardy.

Tim Burton will produce the picture set for release on June 22, 2012.

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Ben is in the running to play the title role in “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter”. He’s up against Adrien Brody, Timothy Olyphant, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Josh Lucas and James D’Arcy.

Have to hand it to 20th Century Fox, this is probably the best list of potential actors I’ve seen amidst all the “testing for” stories that have become the norm lately. Aside from James D’Arcy, whose work I’m not familiar with, I am an admirer of nearly all the guys in the running to play the titular character in the planned bloody 3-D epic “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter”, based on the novel by Seth Grahame-Smith, who is also penning the script. Deadline reports today that D’Arcy will be testing this week or next, along with Josh Lucas, Adrien Brody, Timothy Olyphant, Benjamin Walker and Oliver Jackson-Cohen.

Following Lincoln throughout his life and keeping every major historical event intact, Grahame-Smith adds one huge twist to the well-known story: Every action Lincoln takes, including starting the Civil War and ending slavery, is acted out of a desire to rid the world of vampires, one of whom killed his mother and his first love. It will be directed by Timur Bekmambetov, produced by Tim Burton and set for release on June 22, 2012.

The only other rumor surrounding this historical re-imagining right now is that Tom Hardy is being pursued for the pivotal role of Henry Sturgess, a vampire ally and something of a mentor for Lincoln throughout his life.

For now, let’s turn our attention to the six men who might become the first ever axe-wielding, demon killing President of the United States.

Oliver Jackson-Cohen is a British up and comer that we’ve had our eye on for the past several months, when he made a charming feature debut in the Justin Long-Drew Barrymore rom-com “Going the Distance” and then played a young hitman in “Faster”. He’ll next be seen in the Anna Faris rom-com “What’s Your Number”, but without a doubt, playing Abraham Lincoln would be a much better direction for him.

Adrien Brody was the youngest Best Actor Oscar winner ever when he won for “The Pianist” at age 29 back in 2003, but his career has been mired with missteps since. He’s been on somewhat of a comeback kick, taking on roles that the public wouldn’t have expected from him, such as last year’s “Predators” reboot, which put him in the role of action hero for the first time.

James D’Arcy has been acting since the 90′s, most in British TV series and mini-series, but also in “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World” opposite Russell Croew. He’ll next be seen in Madonna’s directorial feature “W.E”, a romantic drama focusing on the affair between King Edward VIII and American divorcée Wallis Simpson. D’Arcy will play Edward opposite Abbie Cornish.

Josh Lucas landed on the scene after playing Reese Witherspoon’s childhood soulmate in “Sweet Home Alabama” but has rarely had a hit since, when potential blockbusters like “Stealth” and “Poseidon” bombed instead. He’ll next be seen in “Lincoln Lawyer” with Matthew McConaughey and Ryan Phillippe.

Benjamin Walker is another rising star we have been and will be keeping an eye on. He had been earning rave reviews starring as another President, Andrew Jackson, in recently closed off-Broadway musical “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson”, and was briefly cast as Beast in “X-Men: First Class” before backstage shuffling caused him to drop out and return to the stage.

Timothy Olyphant has been a staple at playing various villains, bad boys and anti-heroes for years, most recently and prominently on the F/X series “Justified”. He’ll next be introduced to the teen crowd in “I Am Number Four”.

So who’s it going to be? Maybe it’s the influence of “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson”, but Walker seems like a perfect fit to me, and he would easily be able to play Lincoln at all ages. Olyphant would also be great, if not for the fact he is a bit older.

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