Just over a week ago Kim Masters at Slate updated her article about Steven Spielberg's Lincoln, which I discussed right here, with the following note:

(Update: A knowledgeable source told me on Wednesday that Paramount has passed on Lincoln.)

Considering Slate is a highly reputable source it was assumed to be true and everyone moved on as if it was. Well, not so fast says Entertainment Weekly quoting Spielberg's longtime publicist, Marvin Levy, who says "Lincoln is alive and well and continues in active development. Everyone is proceeding with great enthusiasm. The script is still being revised by Tony Kushner and our plans are now to shoot the picture later this year."

The film is budgeted at $50 million and even EW reports they heard not only Paramount, but "other major studios" had passed on the feature as well. I can't help but think the script must have some serious problems for this film not to be getting off the ground. It has Liam Neeson attached to star in the title role and just one step into any Barnes and Noble around the country proves Lincoln is a hot topic in 2009 with the Lincoln Bicentennial dominating the center aisle as well as getting it's own government run website.

Stay tuned as I am sure we haven't heard the last of this project.

However, one project it seems we have certainly heard the last of is the King Lear project that was set to be directed by Joshua Michael Stern with Keira Knightley, Gwyneth Paltrow and Anthony Hopkins set to star as Paul Fisher from KeiraWeb dropped me a line to tell me after corresponding with Knightley's agent he learned the project had been shelved.

Oh well, I guess we still have the Al Pacino version on the way.

Related post categories: Production Update : Keira Knightley, Lincoln, Steven Spielberg

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