What makes a property hot? If it’s familiar but not too familiar, different but not too different and if the timing is right. So, with all the emphasis on vampires of late, have Russian director Timur Bekmambetov and Tim Burton, this time in the producer’s chair, scored a hit by optioning Seth Grahame-Smith’s weirdo novel Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter? It must be good because, reportedly, they even used their own money…

That’s how it looks now that Fox have joined in to make the film, with Wanted producer Jim Lemley coming along for the ride as Timur’s friendly manager.

In the book, Lincoln’s mother is killed by a vampire, making him a sworn vampire slayer paired no less with gothic writer Edgar Allan Poe. There are vampires all over the place – and the evidence is there if you look. Clever, no?

What’s this project got? Vampires (zeitgeisty but almost past it), history (always good because it can be visually steampunked) and an assassinated president whose face is on the five dollar bill. JFK’s assassination’s been done, nobody’s really interested in McKinley and Johnny Cash did a song about Garfield… not the cat, the assassinated US president…

Meanwhile, cast will be vital, especially after the bidding war for this project that cunningly screamed out “film me!” when it was just a novel…

What’s the catch? They thinking about making it 3D.