Marvel’s ‘Blade’ Delays Filming in Atlanta, Georgia Due to Writers’ Strike
Blade, the latest movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), was getting ready to start filming this month in Atlanta, Georgia. However, the reboot has now been delayed due to the writers’ strike, which went into effect on May 2, 2023.
The project, which has faced no shortage of challenges in development, was set to film at Tyler Perry Studios. And now, it’s rumored to be temporarily shelved again since the ongoing walk-out by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) union.
The Writers’ Strike Effect on the Blade Reboot
“There’s a billion dollars net in production costs that are exposed because of the strike. That’s certainly a concern,” says a source involved with the production.
Yann Demange had taken over directing duties for the movie. And True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto was brought in to work on the script. However, he ran out of time to complete the project before the start of the WGA walk-out – meaning production has to stop for the time being.
The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that production on the film is expected to continue as soon as the strike ends. The Blade reboot was scheduled to hit theaters in 2024, but whether the strike and production delays will impact the planned cinema release is unknown.
Previous Challenges for Production
Previously, Bassam Tariq had been attached to direct. However, he dropped out of the project due to changes in the production schedule. Though, Tariq remains involved in the project as an executive producer.
A Marvel statement on the director change read:
“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 Cast of the Blade Reboot
The film stars Mahershala Ali in the title role. And this isn’t the first time that director Yann Demange and Ali have worked together, as Ali also started in True Detective Season 3. Joining Ali in the cast will be Mia Goth, Delroy Lindo, and Aaron Pierre.
The Plot of 2024’s Blade. What We Currently Know.
While IMDB still lists the plot as unknown at this time, the production information that has gone out lists the movie’s description as the following:
Himself a half-human/half-vampire, “Daywalker” Eric Brooks (Ali) has honed his abilities to hunt down the undead who have long terrorized mankind. A human-vampire hybrid since his tragic birth, Blade has spent his long life seeking to rid the world of vampires like the one that killed his mother. Over the years, he has mastered his own style of fighting monsters of all kinds.
Sources close to the project have also revealed that the tone of the movie will have the same darkness and grit as the trilogy that starred Wesley Snipes as the human-vampire hybrid character between 1998 and 2004.
That being noted, it’s also been announced that True Detective creator, Nic Pizzolatto, is actively rewriting the script. The project previously had a script from Michael Starrbury. And insiders have revealed that Pizzolatto has been working on the script for several weeks now.
Production on Blade
Production on the Blade reboot was expected to last from May 2023 until August 2023, with Atlanta and New Orleans being used for filming locations. Then, roughly a year later, the movie is set to be released in theaters on September 6, 2024.
Again, it’s unclear how the writers’ strike will impact this timeline. But we’ll keep you posted as more details surface.
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