Disney and Marvel Studios’ Mahershala Ali-led Blade feature film has found a new director in Yann Demange, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Demange previously worked on the fan-favorite supernatural horror television darling Lovecraft Country for HBO and Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions.
Additionally, joining the new team for Blade is Michael Starrbury (an Emmy nominee for Ava DuVernay’s Netflix series When They See Us); he’s on board to tackle the script for the highly anticipated vampire hero action film for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Demange and Starrbury have been enlisted to lean into a more dark and gritty tone for the planned franchise, which will bring even more supernatural and monster madness into the MCU along the lines of Moon Knight and Werewolf by Night—which we’re really excited about. Imagine Mahershala Ali and Oscar Isaac teaming up? Maybe toss in a little Gael Garcia Bernal too?
Back in September the film parted ways with Bassam Tariq (Mogul Mowgli), the film’s original director, just two months before the scheduled start of shooting over creative differences. Production can presumably get back on track for its Atlanta, Georgia shoot in 2023, to hit Blade’s planned release date of Sept. 6, 2024.
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