Forget Edward, Bella, Batman, Ethan Hunt, zombies, vampires, fairy tales or whatever other trend you might think is gaining heat, because it seems nothing is hotter right now than Abraham Lincoln. Last year, Robert Redford investigated his assassination with "The Conspirator," and in 2012 we'll have two versions of the famed president hitting screens, first in the revisionist genre tale "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" then in Steven Spielberg's prestige picture "Lincoln." But guess what history buffs, there is even more Abe on the way.
Powerhouse producing brothers Ridley and Tony Scott are teaming with the National Geographic Channel for a documentary based on irrtiating and loudmouth political commentator Bill O'Reilly's book "Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination That Changed America Forever." Why they are using this source material is beyond us. Already a lightning rod for its various inaccuries — including references to the Oval Office (which hadn't been built at the time) to dredging up the long debunked rumor that Secretary of War Edward Stanton was somehow involved with the plot to kill to the president — the book is so factually inept, the National Parks Service has banned it from being sold at the Ford's Theater. Oof.
Anyway, after all that in case you're still interested, the doc will feature both re-enactments (including some done by CGI for some reason) and archival material but we'll see if the any of the book's more dubious posits make it to the finished product. The Scott Bros. are old hands at American history docs, having delivered "Gettysburg" last year, so we'll see how this turns out. [The Wrap]