Last month, Marvel put Blade on hold, pending a search for a new director. Fortunately, it didn’t take long for Marvel to course-correct. Earlier this week, Yann Demange signed on as the director, filling the void left by Bassam Tariq, who was attached to helm the reboot for over a year before dropping out in September. Regardless, Tariq has nothing but good things to say about his replacement.
After news of Demange’s hiring made the rounds, Tariq issued his own statement on Instagram. He and Demange previously worked together on Tariq’s debut feature, 2020’s Mogul Mowgli, which counted Demange as one of its executive producers. Tariq said that Demange was vital in getting the film off the ground, especially during the post-production stage. So as an executive producer on Blade, he was more than happy to return the favor. You can read his full statement below.
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Tariq’s departure from Blade was only the first domino to fall concerning the reboot’s production. Shortly after the studio confirmed his exit, rumors about other issues began to surface as well. The film’s screenplay was allegedly just 90 pages long—paltry by Marvel’s standards. Similar reports claimed that it only featured two big action sequences, neither of which met Marvel’s expectations. Headliner Mahershala Ali, who has been treating the movie like a passion project of sorts since his casting was announced back in 2019, was also reportedly getting frustrated with the lack of progress.
However, it sounds like the studio is heading back to the drawing board on this front, too. In addition to Demange, Marvel has also hired Michael Starrbury write his own draft of the script. Earlier versions were previously credited to Stacy Osei-Kuffour and Beau DeMayo.
Blade will hit theaters on September 6, 2024.
Are you glad to see that Demange has Tariq’s seal of approval? Let us know in the comment section below!
Photo Credits: Andreas Rentz/Getty Images; David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Brilliant Consulting, INC
Recommended Reading: Blade by Marc Guggenheim: The Complete Collection
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