Blade has finally nabbed a new director and writer after hitting a production snag.
The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Yann Demange will take over directing duties for the upcoming film after Bassam Tariq stepped down from the project earlier this year. Demange is a relatively unknown director, having helmed the pilot of Lovecraft Country and several episodes of other TV shows along with the Matthew McConaughey film White Boy Rick. Meanwhile, Michael Starrbury (When They See Us) will tackle a new version of the script, seemingly replacing former writer Stacy Osei-Kuffour.
While Mahershala Ali was announced as the new Blade in July 2019, progress on his film was slow going. In February 2021, Osei-Kuffour boarded Blade as the writer. Like Demange, she also comes from the world of HBO, having written on Watchmen. In July, Mogul Mowgli director Tariq landed the director gig and plans for a production start date finally emerged. Progress slowed, however, as rumors of delays began to emerge. And by September 2022, with the film just a year shy of release, Blade lost its director when Tariq stepped down over creative differences and scheduling issues.
Problems for the film continued to arise, as Ali was reportedly frustrated with Blade's script and one insider claimed Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige was stretched too thin with so many MCU projects across the big and small screen.
Marvel Fans Will Have to Wait Another Two Years for Blade
Between the loss of its director and script issues, many assumed Marvel would need to push back the film. And in October, the studio did just that. Blade's release date was pushed back alongside Deadpool 3, Fantastic Four, and Avengers: Secret Wars. The former change gave Marvel the time it needed to find a new creative team, and Demange and Starrbury will be getting to work immediately as Blade will reportedly begin production in Atlanta next year.
According to THR, the script rewrite and new director are meant to bring the MCU's Blade more in line with the original trilogy of films, with a "dark and gritty in tone, falling on the edgier side of Marvel fare and maybe even find common shading with the fondly-remembered Blade movies made in the early 2000s by New Line." Marvel Studios has yet to comment on the plot or tone of the film, so for now, it's up to fans to speculate how the MCU's take on the Daywalker will shape up.
Blade hits theaters Sept. 6, 2024.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter