Marvel Studios will pause pre-production on its upcoming vampire thriller Blade due to the ongoing writers’ strike, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Nic Pizzolatto, the creator of True Detective, was recently hired to work on the script, but according to an unnamed source, “time simply ran out.” Marvel plans to restart production once the strike is over. The studio had already paused production once before, and now Blade has become the first high-profile movie to be affected by the strike.
Late-night talk shows and Saturday Night Live have been among the TV shows affected by the writers’ strike, with Showtime’s Billions also halting production as studios fail to agree to new terms with writers.
Marvel had planned to have three movies and two series filming simultaneously. Captain America: New World Order is currently filming in Atlanta, while TV shows Agatha: Coven of Chaos and Wonder Man are also shooting in Atlanta and Los Angeles, respectively. Deadpool 3 is scheduled to begin filming in London later this month, while Thunderbolts is set to film in Atlanta in June.
The strike may impact the start dates of other movies, such as Fantastic Four, which is scheduled to film in January 2024 in London, with potential delays if the strike lasts for six months or longer.
The typical practice of big-budget blockbusters evolving their scripts during production may be challenged by the strike, particularly for Marvel, which is known for having a writer on set to make changes during filming. The 2020 WGA agreement reportedly provides some flexibility for minor script adjustments to be made by non-writers.
“[Marvel] will shoot what they can, then wait for the reshoots,” an unnamed production executive told The Hollywood Reporter.
Check out our rundown of how the writers’ strike will affect your favorite TV shows.
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