Bassam Tariq is in talks to direct the new 'Blade' film.
Bassam Tariq
The 'Mogul Mowgli' filmmaker could be set to helm the new adaptation of the Marvel character with Mahershala Ali set to portray the vampire hunter.
The flick has been written by Stacy Osei-Kuffour with Marvel boss Kevin Feige producing.
According to Deadline, Mahershala, Kevin and Marvel executives have been meeting with dozens of candidates since last year.
Since Stacy was hired to pen the screenplay, the studio shortened the list of possible directors and started another round of meetings. The potential filmmakers all delivered their vision for the film and Bassam ultimately won over movies bosses.
Blade first appeared in Marvel comics in 1973. He is a human-vampire hybrid as his mother was bit and killed by the blood-sucking monsters during childbirth.
The character was previously played by Wesley Snipes in three movies between 1998 and 2004 and Kevin explained that he had been desperate to revive Blade in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
He said: "We have, for years, wanted to find a new way into Blade. We love that character. We love that world.
"Now with Doctor Strange and the supernatural elements coming into the MCU, it felt like we could definitely start exploring that.
"Mahershala wanted to come in and meet with us, and when Mahershala Ali wants to meet, you take the meeting.
"I think he had just come off of his second Academy Award, and we were talking very polite and he was talking about what a fan he is. And then he just cut right to it and was like 'Blade.' And we were like, 'Yes.'"
Tagged in Wesley Snipes Kevin Feige