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After almost 150 years, it’s about time they finally solved this damned case. You’d think that with as high a profile as President Lincoln had they would have captures his killers by now, but it appears as if they’ve finally uncovered that it was James McAvoy and Robin Wright Penn all along.

As punishment, the two actors (whoever heard of an actor killing anybody?) will be starring in The Conspirator, a movie being directed by Robert Redford about the events following the assassination in Ford’s Theater.

According to Variety, Wright Penn will be playing Mary Surratt, the famous figure who aided in the assassination plot by handing off pistols and field glasses for the conspirators to pick up after the shooting as they made their way into hiding. She was, as you remember from your history class, the first woman ever executed by the federal government.

McAvoy will be playing Bilbo Baggins Frederick Aiken, the lawyer who took up her case and wrote a fairly cogent defense of the whole matter despite the obviousness of her guilt.

Although I wasn’t a huge fan of Lions for Lambs, I’m stoked about the idea of a Civil War-era drama directed by Robert Redford, and the casting sounds great so far. It’ll be nice to have two strong actors in difficult roles – how do you make Surratt a sympathetic character? And McAvoy is perfect for a reluctant aide role – he’s already displayed strong chops for that particular role in The Last King of Scotland. Definitely looking forward to this one.

What do you think?