National Geographic Channel has set the Philippine premiere of its first original scripted drama, “Killing Lincoln,” for April 14, 2013, marking the 148th anniversary of the assassination of US President Abraham Lincoln. Narrated on camera by Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks and produced by Ridley and Tony Scott’s Scott Free Productions, the film is a two-hour masterpiece that dramatizes what is considered to be one of the most significant events in American history.
Based on the
best-selling book Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination That
Changed America Forever that was co-written by political
commentator and media personality Bill O’Reilly and author Martin
Dugard, “Killing Lincoln” recounts the last days of President
Lincoln at the close of the American Civil War and exposes how John
Wilkes Booth, a popular Shakespearean actor and staunch Confederate
supporter, conspires to kill him and subsequently bring down the
Union government. On April 14, 1865, President Lincoln went to Ford’s
Theatre with his wife Mary to see a play and was shot down at 11 PM
by Booth, who jumped down from the theater box, made his way to the
stage through the panicking crowd and shouted, “Sic semper
tyrannis!” But how could he commit such a terrible act?
“’Killing
Lincoln’ is a true historical story that explores John Wilkes
Booth’s actions before and after the assassination. We go into a
life that has never been seen before from this perspective. And that
life provides great insight into one of the biggest conspiracies in
this country’s history,” said Executive Producer Ridley Scott.
The film also portrays an unprecedented manhunt for Booth and his
co-conspirators for committing a crime that shook an entire nation to
its core.
Erik
Jendresen, writer and producer for the critically acclaimed series
“Band of Brothers,” wrote the script for “Killing Lincoln”
based on O’Reilly’s book and was excited to work with National
Geographic. “With the National Geographic brand, the audience
trusts that they are in the hands of a reliable storyteller. If the
content is enclosed by that golden border, viewers know it must be
authentic. So the opportunity to do something with National
Geographic Channel was extraordinary – it was a tremendous
responsibility and we all took it quite seriously,” he said.
Much
research and effort went into production to make the film
historically accurate. A talented and capable cast comprising veteran
and new faces bring the historical drama to life, with Billy Campbell
bringing gravitas to the role of Abraham Lincoln and newcomer Jesse
Johnson turning the conventionally two-dimensional villainy of Booth
into a breakthrough performance. Accomplished actors Geraldine Hughes
and Graham Beckel lend their chops to a magnificent production as
Mary Todd Lincoln and Edwin Stanton – Lincoln’s secretary of war
– respectively. “Tom Hanks is a
captivating storyteller that really helps to guide the audience
through the entire film,” adds Scott.
“Killing
Lincoln” made National Geographic history when it broke the
channel’s records for viewership, garnering 3.4 million viewers
when the film premiered on February 17 in the US. It will be aired on
April 14 at 9 PM on National Geographic Channel for its Asian
premiere.
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