Spielberg's 'Lincoln' axed by Paramount?

Paramount has reportedly opted against making Steven Spielberg's Abraham Lincoln biopic.

According to The Big Money, the studio passed on Lincoln this week, leaving Spielberg unable to proceed with his pet project. Liam Neeson has been attached to play the 16th US President for several years, while Sally Field's name was linked to the role of First Lady Mary Lincoln.

The film's screenwriter Tony Kushner recently claimed that the biopic would arrive in cinemas by Christmas - in time for the bicentenary of Lincoln's birth - should the project receive the greenlight.

When Spielberg's DreamWorks company split from Paramount last year, the studio kept the rights to Lincoln. The director is now hoping that the film will be picked up elsewhere.