Marvel's Blade taps Lovecraft County helmer Yann Demange to direct

Blade reboot star Mahershala Ali — (Image credit: Fox)

Marvel's Blade reboot is back on track with a new director and writer duo following a brief production pause.

Following news that director Bassam Tariq had left the project, Blade stopped production in order to find a new helmer. The Hollywood Report now says the project will be directed by Yann Demange, who helmed the pilot episode of the 2020 HBO horror series Lovecraft Country.

In addition, it's now being reported that a brand new script for the Blade reboot is being written by Michael Starrbury, an Emmy-nominated scribe who you might know from TV series including Colin in Black & White, When They See Us, and Legends of Chamberlain Heights.

The Blade reboot is reportedly set to start filming in 2023, and it's still expected to hit its target release date of September 6, 2024. It was originally supposed to premiere in 2023, but as part of a big scheduling shift at Marvel, it was pushed back.

Academy Award and Emmy-winning actor Mahershala Ali is still set to portray the titular vampire, a role Wesley Snipes previously portrayed in the original 1998 superhero movie, which spawned two sequels and a TV series. Based on the Marvel comics of the same name, the plot centers around a Dhampir - a human with vampire strengths but without their weaknesses - who fights vampires to avenge his mother.

For more on Blade and the Multiverse Saga, check out our guide to all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows on their way. Also check our guide to Marvel Phase 4 now that it's coming to a close and look ahead to Marvel Phase 5.

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.