Spielberg on 'Lincoln,' Thinking Downey for 'Harvey'

Two very interesting developments on the Steven Spielberg front: 1) He's still set on making a Lincoln movie even though Robert Redford is beating him to the punch, and 2) He might cast Robert Downey, Jr. to play the Jimmy Stewart role in the update of Harvey. In reverse order - so why in the hell didn't I just reverse the order above? - Robert Downey, Jr. as Elwood P. Dowd, a man who has an invisible giant rabbit as a best friend, is an idea with loads of potential. In fact, now that I hear it, I'm going to have trouble finding a better candidate. So kudos to Spielberg. On the Lincoln front, I can't remember the last time Spielberg kept pushing back a project the way he has this one. He's had the rights to Doris Kearns Goodwin's book for years and Liam Neeson has been linked - ha ha - to the title role for just as long. So what's with the delay? No clue. Before he gets there, he'll have Harvey and maybe something else down the line, and now that Redford is making The Conspirator (about the assassination of the 16th president), you might think this isn't a priority for Spielberg anymore. But he tells Variety it's still very much alive:

“We are very happy that Redford will be doing this Lincoln movie. It is completely different from what our DreamWorks Lincoln movie will be and we believe that it will add to the commercial potential of our film. Lincoln as a subject is inexhaustible.”

So there you go. No real update on when we'll see it, but I bet that won't happen at least until 2011, unless he pulls a War of the Worlds/Munich double shot where he pulls two movies in nine months. But at least he's still got it cookin'. And until then, how about Downey in Harvey?

Comments

[anybody]

perfect choice

[SEAN]

great choice...

jeez talk about "comebacks" .... downey's in huge demand, rourke is alive and kicking...

I LOVE IT, and my reasoning that their indeed back because THEY HAVE SUBSTANCE AS ACTORS.... and connects dont hurt...

I was getting worried Shia wouldve been chosen being his Spielbergs pet...

Redford beating him to the punch I feel as though might be a problem...with audiences might get kinda "tired" with one too many Lincoln films...

But i do agree, Lincoln stories are just endless... but Americans sure do have small attention spans...