LOS ANGELES: Director Bassam Tariq, who is set to tackle Marvel Studios' film adaptation of the popular comic "Blade", says that his take on the character will pay a tribute to the actor Wesley Snipes' film trilogy.
Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali is set to play the titular vampire hunter in the new movie, taking over from Snipes, who essayed the role in the 1998 hit and its two sequels.
Playwright Stacy Osei-Kuffour is writing the script of the film with Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige producing.
During a recent interview with IndieWire, Tariq promised that his version will honour Snipes' contribution to the superhero genre.
"What's exciting about the film that we're making is (there) hasn't been a canon for 'Blade', as we're reading through the comics and everything," the director, best known for making the Riz Ahmed-starrer "Mogul Mowgli", said.
"Him being a daywalker is the one thing that's been established, and you know we can't deny what Wesley Snipes did, which was he basically got this whole ball rolling.
A Black man created the superhero world that we're in, that's just the truth," he added.
Created by writer Marv Wolfman, Blade first made an appearance in the 1973 comic book "The Tomb of Dracula #10" as a supporting character.
He is a vampire hunter--half-mortal, half-immortal--who tries to free the world from vampires as a way of avenging his mother, who was killed by a vampire as she gave birth to him.
Tariq said he is quite excited to work with Ali and Osei-Kuffour on the much-awaited movie.
"For me to now be working with somebody as talented and a juggernaut as Mahershala Ali, and the writer Stacy Osei-Kuffour, I'm just so, I'm so honoured to be working with real Black juggernauts and Black talent.
"For me to just be with them in this room and listen and learn as I build this out, it's really an honour," he added.