Twentieth Century Fox has won a bloody bidding war for the bigscreen adaptation of Seth Grahame-Smith's "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter," with Timur Bekmambetov set to direct from an adapted script by Grahame-Smith.
Tim Burton is producing the 3D film with Bekmambetov and Jim Lemley. Pic's budget is estimated at $69 million.
Fox will begin pre-production immediately and is planning a 2012 release, according to insiders.
Fox went all out to win rights to the project, giving a detailed pitch for the film's production, marketing and release.
Studio higher-ups didn't stop there.
When the filmmakers entered the Fox lot, they were greeted by a huge banner, plus parking signs stating: “Parking for Vampire Hunters Only, Park at your own risk."
Next there were bloody footprints lining the walkway and steps leading from their cars to the meeting with Fox co-chairs Jim Gianopulos and Tom Rothman and prexy of production Emma Watts.
Posters lining the hallway of the executive building showed images from the book and lines from the script, while there were silver bullets in a bowl at the check-in desk.
The showmanship continued. Bloody axes were strewn about and a bugle player with a Confederate uniform played "Taps."
Fox has relationships with both filmmakers; studio released Bekmambetov's 2004 "Night Watch," which introduced the Russian director to audiences worldwide.
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