Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter gets movie from Burton and Bekmambetov

Writer Seth Grahame-Smith has really hit the public domain jackpot. His parody book PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES, which remixes Jane Austen’s literary classic with bone-crunching zombie action, is getting adapted by star/producer Natalie Portman and possibly director David O. Russell.

Now his latest historical/fiction mashup novel “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” (released today) is coming to life courtesy of some big talent, namely Tim Burton and WANTED director Timor Bekmambetov.

Although neither plans to direct the presidential fangbusting, Burton and Bek will produce and are currently searching for a studio for the project to call home. Grahame-Smith will get first crack at the screenplay.

The synopsis: When Abraham Lincoln was nine years old, his mother died from an ailment called the “milk sickness.” Only later did he learn that his mother’s deadly affliction was actually the work of a local vampire, seeking to collect a debt owed by Lincoln’s father. When Abe learned the truth, he vowed revenge and kept one passion hidden throughout his life: the brutal elimination of all vampires. His valiant, bloody fight against the undead was all but lost to history, until Grahame-Smith stumbled upon The Secret Journal of Abraham Lincoln. Using the journal as his guide, Seth reconstructs Lincoln’s life story and uncovers the role vampires played in the birth, growth, and near-death of our nation.