Even before the MCU, there were some films from the Marvel universe. This includes the vampire hunter Blade, who has been given an entire trilogy. However, the third part of the series is considered one of the worst Marvel films of all time, and the production itself was a disaster.
By the late 90s, Wesley Snipes was a big name in action cinema. His stern demeanor and emotionless yet threatening gaze fit perfectly for the role of Marvel’s vampire hunter. The first part of the series was released in 1998, and the finale of the trilogy was supposed to come out in 2005.
In Blade Trinity, David S. Goyer directed, who later worked as a writer on Batman vs Superman and Man of Steel in the superhero genre. He also wrote the screenplay for the entire Blade trilogy. However, the production did not go as smoothly as one would hope, largely due to a dispute between Goyer and Snipes.
There are some flops in film history. Many of them with a really high budget:
Problems between Goyer and Snipes
The biggest problem was probably the relationship between Goyer and Snipes. Although Goyer knew the series as a screenwriter, he had little experience as a director. This time, alongside direction, which Snipes considered poor, the screenplay and direction of the finale were also a problem for the Blade actor.
In Blade Trinity, there were two new characters that received a lot of focus. Abigail, played by Jessica Biel, and Hannibal King, played by Ryan Reynolds. The finale of the saga was also supposed to open up possibilities for spin-offs, which pushed Blade himself into the background. And Snipes did not like that at all.
In an interview, actor Patton Oswalt revealed that the situation escalated to the point that Snipes did not want to talk to Goyer anymore and allegedly tried to strangle him. However, Snipes denied this in another interview with The Guardian.
At that time, this was a big topic, and Snipes had a reputation for being a difficult personality. In addition to such outbursts, Snipes also missed certain shoots that had to be done without him.
Not only was there an unpleasant atmosphere between Goyer and Snipes, but also among the entire team and Snipes. Threats ensued and Goyer even had to take care of his safety on set.
Before the film’s release, Snipes sued the production company New Line Cinema, claiming that he was not paid the full salary. In addition, he said he had no say as a producer with the director. This was the peak of hostility and disastrous production.
The poor production was also evident in the film, and critics panned it. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a disastrous critic score of 24%. Financially, however, the film was no flop and managed to make a bit over its budget.
A few years after Blade, the MCU also began with the first Iron Man, and the Blade trilogy, as well as the old Spider-Man trilogy, had a significant influence.
Another actress also had an unpopular vampire role this year:
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