Director Steven Spielberg’s highly-anticipated Abraham Lincoln biography starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Sally Field will be filmed in Virginia, Gov. Bob McDonnell announced Wednesday.
“We are honored that Steven Spielberg, an award winning and visionary film maker, has chosen the commonwealth for this important film,” said McDonnell. “It is especially notable coming during the commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War and emancipation.”
The announcement is a big score for the governor, who has been trying to lure Spielberg to shoot the movie in the state for some time.
The incentive package offered for the film includes $1 million from the Governor’s Motion Picture Opportunity Fund, $2.5 million from the Virginia Motion Picture Tax Credit program and $1.1 million in in-kind contributions, according to the governor’s office.
The movie is slated for release in 2012, and is scheduled to be shot in the Richmond and Petersburg areas starting in the fall.
In a statement, Spielberg said, “Virginia’s rich historic legacy, coupled with the remarkable period architecture found in Richmond and Petersburg, make Central Virginia the ideal location for this production.”
