Marvel's 'Blade' delayed due to writers' strike

LOS ANGELES: The ongoing writers' strike in Hollywood has impacted the shoot of Marvel's upcoming project, a vampire thriller 'Blade'.

As per The Hollywood Reporter, the makers have decided to shut down preproduction on its vampire thriller starring Mahershala Ali, which was set to begin filming next month in Atlanta.

Blade had recently hired 'True Detective' creator Nic Pizzolatto to work on the script, but, according to an insider, "time simply ran out." The studio will restart the production once the strike is over.

Since the strike action began Tuesday, the biggest impact has been on late night talk shows and Saturday Night Live. One drama series, Showtime's Billions, halted production on Thursday due to picketing.

While some studios have one or two movies going into production, Marvel is seemingly propping up the industry by planning on having three movies shooting at the same time, not to mention two series. Even with the Blade shutdown, it is gearing up for one of the busiest times in the company's history.

'Captain America: New World Order' is currently filming in Atlanta. TV show 'Agatha: Coven of Chaos' is also shooting in Atlanta, while fellow series 'Wonder Man' is filming in Los Angeles. 'Deadpool 3' is expected to go in front of cameras later this month in London, while 'Thunderbolts' is to hit Atlanta in June. As of now, Thunderbolts is still on track.

'Fantastic Four', which is in the midst of the most closely watched casting search since Marvel hired Tom Holland to play 'Spider-Man' eight years ago, is eying a January 2024 start date in London. That could change, if the strike were to drag on and on for six months or more, though according to sources that is seen as unlikely.

More than 11,000 members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) began the strike on Tuesday, claiming they aren't paid fairly in the streaming era.

"Though we negotiated intent on making a fair deal ... the studios' responses to our proposals have been wholly insufficient, given the existential crisis writers are facing," said a statement from the union leadership.

They have closed the door on their labor force and opened the door to writing as an entirely freelance profession. No such deal could ever be contemplated by this membership."The Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers (AMPTP), which is negotiating on behalf of studio management, responded by saying it was willing to improve on its offer but was not willing to meet some of the union's demands.

"The primary sticking points are 'mandatory staffing,' and 'duration of employment' -- Guild proposals that would require a company to staff a show with a certain number of writers for a specified period of time, whether needed or not," said the statement from management's negotiating committee.

"Member companies remain united in their desire to reach a deal that is mutually beneficial to writers and the health and longevity of the industry, and to avoid hardship to the thousands of employees who depend upon the industry for their livelihoods," it added.