Blade, director reveals how far along the film was
The director said he spent about a year and a half on the production
A portion of the unmade Blade with Mahershala Ali would have taken the vampire hunter to the 1920s. This was revealed by Bassam Tariq, the director who had worked on the project before his departure in 2022.
Tariq recounted that preparation had progressed significantly: he had spent about a year and a half on the production, even moving to Atlanta with his family. Ruth E. Carter, already an Oscar winner for Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, had also designed the costumes.
Costumes and a train set were already in place
Some outfits prepared for Blade would later end up in Sinners, while a significant train set had also been built for the film. The cast included Delroy Lindo, Mia Goth, and Aaron Pierre, with Damián García, cinematographer of Andor, involved in the project.
The missed collaboration with Marvel has, however, left a connection destined to re-emerge. Tariq and Ali have indeed worked together on Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother, a film in which the actor plays a hitman who must protect his children. Even part of the physical preparation Ali underwent for Blade found a second life: the actor was able to utilize the sword training he undertook for the Marvel role. With pre-production now on hold, all that remains is to await what we hope will be a near future for the "daywalker".