Sunday, Feb. 12, was President Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. Had he lived to 2012, the regal statesman would have been 203 years old, which means he likely would have been a vampire, an undead creature of the night. Which also mean he might have been hunted down and killed by Abraham Lincoln … who allegedly was a vampire hunter. What a meta world we live in. Anyway, now’s the idea time for Fox to release the first full trailer for Timur Bekmambetov’s Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. The exclusive clip went to Time, but we have it for you below:



Much better than I thought, given the fact that Bekmambetov’s period thriller is based on a mash-up novel that cleverly blends opposing genres. But the studio seems like it pulled very few financial punches in letting the Wanted director ignite a volatile Civil War-era America, where Lincoln reportedly hunted vamps.

The style of the clip, obviously, mirrors the bending, twisting fight choreography of Bekmambetov’s past films. But I like that Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter seems to be taking a serious tone, because jokey footage might have let the air out of my anticipation bubble. Based on this footage, I’m actually looking forward to seeing the film, more than I was prior to seeing this clip.

To supplement this morning’s trailer, check out CBS This Morning Saturday’s clip from Springfield, Illinois, where the subdued Vampire Hunter star Benjamin Walker goes on record to state that “Honest” Abe would have liked this new film. “He had a sense of humor,” he says. Let’s hope!