Lincoln is a movie a long time in the making.
For over a decade, Steven Spielberg had been talking about making an Abraham Lincoln biopic based on the Doris Kearns Goodwin's seminal Lincoln biography, Team of Rivals. For one reason or another, the project never got moving until last year.
Now, when you're making a movie about a renowned historical figure, casting the lead is the first and probably the most important decision. And, last year, when it was announced that Daniel Day-Lewis would take on the role in this incarnation of our 16th President, it was clear that Spielberg had hit that first ball out of the park.
But, once that first decision is made, there are, as with all movies, countless other decisions that can impact the success or failure of the enterprise. With Spielberg at the helm, this particular movie was fraught with peril.
