Marvel’s ‘Blade’ Has Found New Director After Original Helmer Quit
Marvel’s ‘Blade’ Has Found New Director After Original Helmer Quit
For “Blade,” Yann Demange will serve as the director. After the original director of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) project, Bassam Tariq, backed out in September, the 45-year-old director has been hired.
Previous TV projects directed by Yann include “Top Boy” and “Lovecraft Country.” Mahershala Ali will continue to serve as the film’s star, while Michael Starrbury has been tapped to draft a fresh script.
“Blade” will begin filming in Atlanta the following year and be released in September 2024.
The plot of the movie is being kept a secret, but sources claim that it will be dark and gritty in tone, akin to the trilogy in which Wesley Snipes played the human-vampire hybrid character from 1998 to 2004.
Due to changes in the “production schedule,” Bassam resigned as director but continued to work as executive producer. In a statement, Marvel said, “Bassam is no longer directing “Blade” due to ongoing changes in our production schedule, but he will continue to serve as an executive producer. We are grateful for Bassam’s brilliance and the hard effort he put into making “Blade” what it is today.”
Bassam claimed in his own statement that “Working with the fantastic people at Marvel has been an honor. We were able to assemble a fantastic cast and crew. eager to see where the film is taken by the upcoming director.”
Wesley Snipes, Ali’s predecessor, has commended him, and Ali has stated that he was overjoyed to hear the compliments. Ali stated: “Man, you know, that humbles and inspires me so much. He didn’t need to say that, after all. No one had actually questioned him in that way. I genuinely appreciated him coming out and saying that since he is someone I greatly like. I’m grateful, brother.”
