Joaquin Phoenix Offered Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter?

When actor Joaquin Phoenix announced to the world he would retire from acting, I was supremely upset. The news was difficult to believe, coming from such a critically acclaimed actor seemingly enjoying at the prime of his career. I guess the news was hard to believe because it wasn’t exactly true. The stunt was part and parcel to his fake documentary I’m Still Here. In fact, with incredible dedication, Phoenix continued the farce for every media appearance so that folks would believe he had really quit acting to pursue a career in gangsta rap.

Understandably, you may now choose not to believe the “mockumentary” wasn’t real, but trust me, Deadline.com backs me up here, saying, “While both Phoenix and Affleck initially maintained the docu was legit, they later acknowledged it was an artistic ruse.” The Affleck in question is Phoenix’s brother-in-law, Casey.

That isn’t all Deadline had to say, either. They reported on the first feature film part I’ve heard Joaquin connected to since his little departure. In their exclusive, they name Phoenix as the “front-runner” to portray Honest Abe’s mentor in Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter for 20th Century Fox. The film is adapted from the book of the same name and Tim Burton is on the production team. Phoenix would play “Henry, a mythic, ageless figure who turns Lincoln into an axe-throwing expert.”.

Benjamin Walker has already signed the dotted line for the role of Lincoln.

Could taking this role cause Phoenix to rise from the ashes, like his namesake?