Steven Spielberg‘s ambitious upcoming biopic of America’s 16th president, Abraham Lincoln, features a staggeringly good ensemble cast. To say that Daniel Day Lewis (playing Lincoln himself), Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tommy Lee Jones, David Strathairn and John Hawkes are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of acting is a hell of an achievement, but it’s true. Considering he only has limited time, this leaves one wondering how Spielberg shall fit everyone in, even if it is to be a lengthy feature.

Even though shooting has reportedly already commenced, the veteran director has still found time to cast another talented actor in a major role. British star Jared Harris (son of the late Richard) is set to play at the time Union General, Ulysses S. Grant, who has some of you may know, went on to become president himself later on. The film will be focusing on Lincoln’s pivotal role at the end of the Civil War, in which Grant was also vital too, so expect the actor to be on the screen for a substantial amount of time. Harris can next be seen as Professor Moriarty in Guy Ritchie‘s Sherlock Holmes: Game Of Shadows. [Variety]

With a script by Tony Kushner, Lincoln also includes James Spader, Lee Pace, Jackie Earle Haley, Sally Field, Michael Stuhlbarg, Hal Holbrook, Walton Goggins, Bruce McGill, Tim Blake Nelson, David Oyelowo, Joseph Cross and David Costabile in what is arguably the greatest cast Spielberg has ever assembled. The likely awards contender shall release wide in December 2012.

In other Spielberg news, his The Adventures of Tintin just passed $200m at the global box-office and still has a few weeks to go to open up here in the states. His other December film War Horse has been screening to select audiences and critics alike to good response. After a few screenings yesterday, Spielberg did a Q&A which MSN has posted and can be streamed at the site for the film hitting theaters on Christmas Day.