It looks like “Blade” might soon finally be starting production.
A tentative November 1st date has apparently been set up for the Marvel reboot, which still doesn’t have a director attached to it — Yann Demange (“71”) recently exited the project. Two years ago, Bassam Tariq (“Mogul Mowgli”) also called it quits on the project.
It does look as though the latest draft of the film, written by Eric Pearson, might have finally satisfied everyone involved. Pearson is the sixth writer to have taken a crack at the script after Michael Green, Stacy Osei-Kuffour, Michael Starrbury, Beau DeMayo and Nic Pizzolatto.
“Blade” was announced five years ago, at San Diego’s ComicCon, and has been plagued by an endless array of delays caused by COVID, strikes, casting and, most pertinently, scripting issues. The film was originally set in the 1920s, but will now take place in the present day.
Star Mahershala Ali, who will play the titular character, is said to have been “increasingly frustrated” by the whole process. Mia Goth is still attached to co-star as Lilith, a vampire seeking the blood of Blade’s daughter, but she’s had to contend with some of her fellow actors leaving the project, including Aaron Pierre and Delroy Lindo.
We’ll see if Marvel and company stick with the aforementioned November 1st date. If they do, then that means they are fast tracking this one since, as mentioned, they still haven’t replaced Lindo and Pierre with other actors, and still need to find a director to take on the project.
Suffice to say, this is turning into one of the most legendary and chaotic pre-productions I have ever heard of. A making-of documentary should absolutely be made about the behind-the-scenes drama that’s taken place since 2019.