Daniel Day-Lewis will be Spielberg's Lincoln

"Daniel Day-Lewis would have always been counted as one of the greatest of actors, were he from the silent era, the golden age of film or even some time in cinema's distant future, Steven Spielberg told Variety magazine. "I am grateful and inspired that our paths will finally cross with Lincoln."

In the movie, Spielberg will focus on how a country lawyer called Abraham Lincoln got to the White House and, once there, had to decide whether the US would remain united or not. Filming will begin next year and Lincoln is expected to be in cinemas in 2012. The best-selling book, Team of Rivals, by Doris Kearns Goodwin, has been turned into a screenplay by Tony Kushner, who previously worked with Spielberg on Munich.

Daniel Day-Lewis is married to Rebecca Miller and the couple have two sons, Ronan Cal Day-Lewis and Cashel Blake Day-Lewis. The family divide their time between the US and Ireland.