The Hollywood Reporter states that Marvel has suspended pre-production for the Phase 5 Blade reboot until the end of the ongoing writers’ strike.
According to The Hollywood Reporter’s source, production was halted due to a lack of time, but it will resume after the strike ends.
The Hollywood Reporter pointed out that Marvel has a habit of making script changes during filming, so the writers’ strike could affect upcoming productions like Captain America: New World Order, which is currently being filmed. A Marvel rival source revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that the studio plans to shoot what they can during filming and then wait for reshoots when it comes to Captain America 4.
Production on Blade had been halted before, after the director Bassam Tariq left the project.
Mahershala Ali will play the iconic vampire hunter. Delroy Lindo (The Harder They Fall, Da 5 Bloods) and Aaron Pierre (M. Night Shyamalan’s Old) also star. Additionally, Mia Goth has joined the cast along with Milan Ray (The Wonder Years) and Anthony Starr (The Boys) who will reportedly play the villain.
It’s improbable that fans will experience an immediate effect due to the writers strike as films and shows are often finalized years ahead of time, providing an ample backlog to rely on. Disney has also been preparing for this possibility by accelerating the completion of numerous scripts before the strike commenced. Nonetheless, the extent of the impact will depend on the duration of the work stoppage, so expect more delays to come in the future.
As it stands, Marvel’s “Blade” is currently scheduled to hit theaters on September 6, 2024.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter