Director James Wan once pitched an idea for a Blade reboot. The original Blade from 1998 is credited - alongside X-Men - with kickstarting the current comic book movie craze. Wesley Snipes played the titular character, a human/vampire hybrid who slays other bloodsuckers with the aid of his trusty sword and assorted gadgets. The movie was a fun blend of action and horror, with Snipes being perfectly cast.
Snipes returned for Blade II with Guillermo del Toro directing, and some fans feel the sequel is even better than the original. Sadly, production on Blade: Trinity proved to be disastrous, with Snipes falling out with director David Goyer over creative differences. While Trinity was a modest hit, it was universally panned, with Snipes’ bad behavior on the movie being the only thing people remember about it. Although talk of another sequel or a reboot crops up occasionally, the franchise has been quiet since the cancellation of the short-lived Blade TV show in 2006.
James Wan recently got comic fans excited when he revealed he considered a horror movie take on Batman before he got the job directing Aquaman. Now in a conversion with Happy Sad Confused, he revealed his first brush with a comic book movie property was pitching a Blade reboot.
Wan also revealed that while he had a reboot concept he liked, he couldn’t quite recall what it was:
Years back, a couple of years back, I think it was right after Conjuring 1 that I went into a particular studio and told them ‘Hey, I’m a big fan of Blade. Would you guys be interested in rebooting Blade?’ So that was one. Obviously, nothing came out of that! But that was my first intro into looking at potential comic book properties.
Wan is a self-confessed horror geek, in addition to directing great horror movies like Insidious and Saw, so he would be a strong pick for a new Blade. He can do both action and horror and he’s got a strong visual eye. It seems studio indifference was the real reason his Blade pitch didn’t go anywhere, and around five years later there’s still no real sign of movement on another movie.
It was just to kind of talk about it. I didn’t have a full presentation. I did have an idea, I can’t quite remember what it was. That’s how far back it was and I’ve done a lot since then so I can’t quite remember what I had thought of. But I did like it at the time.
The biggest question surrounding any potential new Blade would be the casting of the title character. John Boyega and Idris Elba have been pitched as possible contenders over the years, but many fans would like to see Snipes himself step back into the character. Considering the impact the first movie had on the genre, it would be great to see the franchise redeemed following the mess Blade: Trinity made.
More: James Wan Says Batman Horror Movie Was ‘Real For 2 Seconds’
Source: Happy Sad Confused
