‘Lovecraft Country’ vet Yann Demange taking reins of Marvel Studios’ ‘Blade’

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Yann Demange, who helped craft the creepy aesthetic of HBO’s heralded-but-short-lived Lovecraft Country, is joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The filmmaker has taken the reins of Blade, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

As reported, the Disney-owned studio hit the pause button on the anticipated return of Marvel’s half-vampire vampire hunter when original director Bassam Tariq left over creative differences shortly before the movie’s November start date.

Instead, the studio has tapped Emmy-nominated When They See Us writer Michael Starrbury to start from scratch on the Blade screenplay, the trade reports, with Starrbury being personally chosen by the movie’s two-time Oscar-winning star Mahershala Ali.

While the project is getting a retooling, its start date is reportedly 2023, with the movie’s release date slated for September 6, 2024.

The original Blade films starred Wesley Snipes as the fan favorite bloodsucker hunter; the 1998 original spawned two sequels and set the stage for superhero supremacy at the box office.

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