Robert Redford‘s period drama about the aftermath of President Lincoln’s assassination, The Conspirator, has already begun shooting but some recent impressive cast additions have been made. Tom Wilkinson, Evan Rachel Wood, Kevin Kline and Alexis Bledel have been added beside James McAvoy, Robin Wright Penn, and Justin Long for this drama. James Solomon has his feature film writing debut for this film.
Variety reports:
Wright Penn plays Mary Surratt, the only female charged in the conspiracy to kill the president, and McAvoy plays Frederick Aiken, the war hero assigned to defend her. Wilkinson will play Reverdy Johnson, the former attorney general who as a U.S. senator is the mentor to the young lawyer and sympathetic to Surratt. Wood plays Surratt’s daughter, Anna, and Kline plays Lincoln’s War Secretary Edwin Stanton. Bledel plays Aiken’s wife, Sarah Weston.
Wow, what an all-star cast. The announcement comes recent as shooting began in Savannah, GA last Monday. I haven’t seen Redford’s previous effort, Lions For Lambs but The Legend of Bagger Vance was a big disappointment. The story looks great though and I’m very excited to see this cast together. I also wonder if Steven Spielberg‘s supposed Lincoln film with Liam Neeson will ever be made, now that this is happening.
The Conspirator is looking at a late 2010 release.
Do you like Redford as a director? Are you looking forward to this film?