Did You Hear? is a weekly examination of headlines in the entertainment industry and a take on what they could mean for the future of the industry and (often), the little geeky bubble that we occupy!
MCU’s Blade Loses it’s Second Director
Fun fact: in the amount of time that has passed between super star actor Mahershala Ali being cast as Blade, the day walker, and this very moment, original Blade actor, Wesley Snipes, had starred in a released three Blade movies.
… actually that fact isn’t all that fun …
Last week Variety informed fans of the Marvel Cinematic Unviersere that Yann Demange (Lovecraft Country) – the second director attached to the project – had departed.
Insiders say Demange departed the film amicably weeks ago, as development on the project has stretched over multiple years. Screenwriter Eric Pearson, who co-wrote “The Fantastic Four” for Marvel, is the latest scribe to take on the “Blade” script, after at least five other writers have taken passes on the film, including Michael Green, Stacy Osei-Kuffour, Michael Starrbury, Beau DeMayo and Nic Pizzolatto.
If these “Insiders” are to be believed the issue seems rooted in the current Marvel Studios production schedule.
Also, please note since-fired X-Men 97 (some would add “wrongly” to the former part of this sentence), showrunner Beau DeMayo noted as one of the screenwriters who has done a pass on the new Blade script. *insert double eye emoji here*
Variety goes on to state:
While Marvel has not officially moved “Blade” off of its Nov. 7, 2025, release date, it is looking increasingly unlikely that the project will be able to start production in time to make that date. The next four Marvel films on Disney’s release calendar — “Deadpool & Wolverine” in 2024 and “Captain America: Brave New World,” “Thunderbolts” and “The Fantastic Four” in 2025 — are all either completed, nearly completed or well into production. And Disney CEO Bob Iger’s statement in an earnings call on May 7 that the superhero shingle will release “a maximum of three” movies a year has further alleviated the pressure for Marvel to crank out titles before they are fully baked.
In my opinion, the pushing back of Blade’s release date is inevitable in the wake of an absentee director. Mark my words, we will get an official announcement either during this year’s San Diego Comic-Con or D23. Conversely, if we hear nothing about Blade during San Diego Comic-Con or D23, mark my words once again, the movie isn’t happening anymore.
Remember when Inhumans was a feature film?
Mike Flanagan’s Exorcist Gets Friday the 13th Release Date
Horror fans, rejoice! The king of the Flanaverse and modern day Stephen King adaptations, creator Mike
Flanagan, is not only helming a new movie in The Exorcist universe (here’s looking at you, The First Omen, as obvious competition!), but Universal has announced a release date via Deadline this week:
Universal has set its new Exorcist movie from Doctor Sleep helmer Mike Flanagan on an appropriate date. The pic from Blumhouse and Morgan Creek will attack theaters on Friday the 13th — March 13, 2026.
Is it weird that my first thought is: “Cute?”
The film is described as a “radical new take” on the venerable horror franchise that has been disrupted sleep since 1973. Any potentially head-spinning plot details are being kept under wraps.
Yeah, definitely a weird first thought.
March may seem like a strange month to release a horror movie at first blush, but I’ll remind you that this year the Sydney Sweeney-led (Anyone But You), Immaculate premiered on March 22nd and has been one of the most successful films of 2024, the aforementioned The First Omen released this year on April 5th, AND we began the 2024 cinematic season with Night Swim, starring Wyatt Russell (Monarch: Legacy of Monsters). It seems Spooky Spring is powerful release window.
Deadline goes on to remark about the Flanagan/Blumhouse partnership:
The project marks the fourth team-up between Flanagan and Blumhouse. He wrote and directed its Oculus (2013), Hush (2016) and Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016). Along with The Shining-inspired Doctor Sleep, Flanagan has written and directed such films as The Haunting of Hill House, Midnight Mass and Gerald’s Game along with last year’s Netflix miniseries The Fall of the House of Usher.
For me, this is nothing but great news and, I guess, “cute”.
Attack on Titan Fandom gets a Shot in the Arm
If you’ve been around here long enough you know I have an affinity for fan films. This week the massive anime fandom of Attack on Titan reared it’s amazing head with this fan film that dropped on Youtube after eighteen months of hard work:
It Took Me 1.5 Years to Make This Attack on Titan short film
Artstation：www.artstation.com/xieboli Patreon:www.patreon.com/xieboli This short film is a non-profit fan work. Except for the music and sound, all content was independently completed by me alone, taking a year and a half. Everything started from scratch, without any budget, solely to express my love for this work.
User xieboli is already on fans radars as a potential professional creator in the space. If nothing else this is a cool watch to send your into another geeky weekend!xΩrewq
