After some re-shuffling, Marvel Studios’ upcoming reboot of the Blade film franchise has just received an interesting new writer. According to The Hollywood Reporter, acclaimed screenwriter Nic Pizzolatto is now working on the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe feature. The news of Pizzolatto joining the production sees the writer and True Detective creator reuniting with star Mahershala Ali. Ali starred in Season 3 of the hit HBO phenomenon.
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NIC PIZZOLATTO JOINS MARVEL’S BLADE AS NEW WRITER
The planned Marvel Studios reboot has gone through a number of production shifts in recent months. The film had its production start date rescheduled to late May 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. Yann Demange (White Boy Rick, ’71), the director of the pilot of HBO’s Lovecraft Country, is currently attached as the new director. The film has also received some fresh blood so to speak in the cast, with X star Mia Goth joining the cast, along with Delroy Lindo.
The latest draft of Blade was reportedly penned by writer Michael Starrbury (When They See Us). Pizzolatto is reportedly working from Starrbury’s draft, and he’s said to have been at the job for a few weeks already.
The Blade film production now looks to reset after recent production delays. The original director, Bassam Tariq, parted ways with the film just weeks before it was supposed to go into production. The film was originally supposed to release in theaters on Nov. 3, 2024. Reports also indicated that star and executive producer Ali was not happy with the state of the script. Jeff Sneider reported in September 2022 that the script was roughly about 90 pages and only had two lackluster action sequences.
The iconic Marvel character and vampire hunter was created by Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan, first appearing in 1973 in Marvel’s The Tomb of Dracula No. 10. Blade is a half-human, half-vampire hunter who wants revenge against the vampires who killed his mother while she was pregnant. The character has also been adapted multiple times in live-action television and television animation.
Wesley Snipes previously starred in the three live-action Blade films produced by New Line Cinema in 1998, 2002, and 2004. All three films were R-rated and were made years before the Marvel Cinematic Universe was even established. It remains to be seen how Marvel Studios will tackle Blade, and if they will maintain the hard R-rating that the earlier films had.
Besides Blade, Pizzolatto is also currently hard at work on a television update of the classic western, The Magnificent Seven. Pizzolatto previously co-wrote the 2016 update starring Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, and Ethan Hawke.
It should be interesting to see how the final product turns out with the production delays, creative script rewrites, and also a change in directors for the upcoming comic book feature. Marvel’s Blade is currently due out for a September 6, 2024 release.
At the very least, Ali attached to the role is very interesting. He is an acting powerhouse, proven by his Oscar-winning performances in the films Moonlight and Green Book. This is also not his first foray into the Marvel Universe. He previously portrayed Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes in the Marvel Netflix series, Luke Cage.
What do you think of the news? Do you think Nic Pizzolatto is a good fit to come aboard Blade with the production set to start so soon? Do you think the film has had enough time to reset and meet its September 2024 release? Let us know what you think about the news and the subject on The Illuminerdi Twitter account.KEEP READING: Marvel’s Midnight Suns – PS5 Review: One Hell Of A Good Time
SOURCE: The Hollywood Reporter
