"Lincoln," the historical drama directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Daniel Day-Lewis as the former president, will have its world premiere on the closing night of the American Film Institute's AFI Fest, the institute said Friday.
The "Lincoln" premiere will take place Thurs., Nov. 8.
"Lincoln" will open in U.S. theaters on November 9, 2012, with expansion on November 16, 2012.
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The DreamWorks/Twentieth Century Fox film, which follows Lincoln's final tumultuous months in office, also stars Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones, David Strathairn, Jackie Earle Haley, John Hawkes, Hal Holbrook, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, James Spader and Jared Harris. John Williams composed the score.
Partly based on the Doris Kearns Goodwin best-seller “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln," the film chronicles Lincoln's effort to bring a war-torn America back together and abolish slavery. Tony Kushner ("Angels in America") wrote the screenplay.
Also read: Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln": The Poster
“Steven Spielberg epitomizes American filmmaking,” AFI Fest director Jacqueline Lyanga said, “and who better to tell the story of one of the most significant figures in our country’s history. In this important presidential election year, Spielberg’s 'Lincoln' reminds us that the challenges of the past remain as relevant today.”