After the unexpected departure of director Bassim Tariq, Marvel Studios has shut down all production activities on Blade, starring Oscar Award-winning actor Mahershala Ali, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
Two weeks ago, Marvel Studios provided a statement to The Hollywood Reporter that the Mogul Mowgli director will no longer be heading the project, giving the reason:
“Due to continued shifts in our production schedule, Bassam is no longer moving forward as director of Blade but will remain an executive producer on the film. We appreciate Bassam’s talent and all the work he’s done getting Blade to where it is.”
The Hollywood Reporter
Now, all production-related activities are on hold as the studio begins its search for a new director. It is unclear how long the search will take or when production will resume. The report also states the studio hopes to get back into the swing by early 2023.
The delay is disheartening news for many fans since Blade was arguably one of the most anticipated titles announced as part of SDCC 2019. This is not the first delay for the film; there were delays early in production due to several script rewrites. THR reports one source stating, “They (Marvel Studios) want to really get this right.”
While Blade was originally set to release in theaters on Nov 3, 2023, these setbacks have pushed the release back considerably, as the film is now scheduled to arrive on Sept. 6, 2024. We will be sure to keep you posted if anything changes.
