Today, The Hollywood Reporter announced that up-and-coming director Bassam Tariq has stepped away from directing the upcoming Marvel Studios vampire reboot Blade. According to the report, it was due to a scheduling conflict with his next project and the multiple false starts on production. Production has been pushed indefinitely until sometime in early 2023, while the script undergoes rewrites. Tariq will stay on to Executive Produce the film for the studio.
Original screenwriter Stacy Osei-Kuffour turned in a short 90-page script with only two mild action sequences to the dismay of Kevin Feige and star Mahershala Ali. Moon Knight and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds writer Beau DeMayo has been brought in to help rewrite the script with a search for a new director already underway.
Blade has no set release date
- Director Bassam Tariq left Marvel Studios' Blade due to scheduling conflicts and production delays, but remains an executive producer.
- Production is delayed until early 2023 because the original script did not meet expectations, prompting extensive rewrites.
- Writer Beau DeMayo is currently rewriting the script while the studio actively searches for a new director.
