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Notable director Bassam Tariq is no longer attached to Marvel Studios' Blade after vacating his directorial chair due to some continuous shifts in the developing film's production schedule. The anticipated film looks to hit theaters in November of next year, which is an established timeframe that may be subject to adjustment, depending on the pace of the studio's search to find a new director to fill Tariq's vacated chair.
Blade, which will star Academy Award-winning actor Mahershala Ali as the titular character, hoped to begin production this November in Atlanta but now must wait for additional pieces to be added to the board. The Marvel Studios project centered around the vampire slayer was first announced in 2019 at San Diego Comic-Con by Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige. The cast for the upcoming film will also feature veteran actor Delroy Lindo and Old star Aaron Pierre in currently undefined roles.
As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Tariq will no longer serve as director for the highly-anticipated Marvel Studios film, but audiences will still feel his involvement in other areas of production. "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," stated Marvel Studios in a released statement. "We appreciate Bassam's talent and all the work he's done getting Blade to where it is."
Tariq equally thanked Marvel Studios in his own released statement, praising the "killer cast and crew" they were able to put together and his eagerness to see where the next director to sit in his vacated chair will take the film. Blade currently lives in the Phase 5 release window for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but the film has undergone several rounds of rewrites, which may have impacted the production schedule. Beau DeMayo, who previously worked on Moon Knight, sits as the current screenwriter as the studio searches for a new director to helm the project.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time the studio has seen a director exit from a project early. Scott Derrickson, who directed 2016's Doctor Strange, was hired to direct Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness but stepped away from the project due to "creative differences." Marvel Studios' Fantastic Four also lost its director, Jon Watts, who previously worked on the current Spider-Man trilogy for the studio, which starred Tom Holland. In each instance, however, Marvel Studios has found suitable directors to move forward with, so it will be intriguing to see who will step in to bring the highly-desired Marvel Studios project to life.
Blade is set to hit theaters on November 3, 2023.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter