Academy Award-winning actor Daniel Day-Lewis is preparing for his role as Abraham Lincoln by visiting the state where the former president began his political career. -AP Photo

SPRINGFIELD: Academy Award-winning actor Daniel Day-Lewis is preparing for his role as Abraham Lincoln by visiting the state where the former president began his political career.

DreamsWorks Studios says Day-Lewis will star in the Steven Spielberg-directed film ''Lincoln.'' The movie is based on the book ''Team of Rivals'' by Doris Kearns Goodwin, who joined Day-Lewis on his tour in Illinois.

The State Journal-Register reports the actor toured several historic sites Friday in Springfield, including the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum, the Lincoln Home and the Old State Capitol, where Lincoln served as a legislator.

Filming is expected to begin next fall, and the movie is to be released in late 2012.