The Wild Request Simply “Too Dumb” to Make It into the First Blade Movie

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25 years post its debut, Stephen Norrington’s “Blade” (currently available on the SYFY app) is renowned as a fantastic blend of action and horror, significantly contributing to the evolution of contemporary comic book films. The movie remains an exemplary guide on reimagining characters for the big screen, and demonstrating how to execute R-rated comic book action while maintaining a fun tone, yet delving into Blade’s (Wesley Snipes) underlying darkness.

However, the journey wasn’t smooth sailing; there were a couple of hurdles along the way during the film’s production. Norrington encountered some studio suggestions that would have significantly altered the movie we recognize today, with one proposal so unimaginable he could never envision it being part of the final version.

For More on Blade

25 Years On: I Still Can’t Get Enough of Blade’s Thrilling Adventures, and Blade II Remains One of the Most Terrifying Sequels Ever Produced – 15 Days Worth of Adrenaline-Fueled Entertainment: That’s Just Blade for You!

The request “too dumb” to be in Blade

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During a 2021 interview with the “Take a Look Around” podcast, Norrington discussed some resistance he encountered from studio executives during post-production of “Blade”. More precisely, the chairman of New Line Cinema (either founder Robert Shaye or co-chair Michael Lynne, it’s not clear who specifically) proposed altering how vampires would die on screen in the film.

According to Norrington, the head of the studio proposed an idea that higher-ranking vampires should disintegrate into a cascade of diamonds, while lower-level ones would turn into a shower of debris upon destruction. This idea was presented during a meeting following the film’s initial screening, and it received positive feedback from everyone except the chairman.

The same executive found the initial blood-filled rave scene in the movie “Blade” excessive and wanted to remove it from the film. This decision angered Norrington so much that other executives had to contact his agent to try to cool him down. However, in the end, Norrington managed to convince them otherwise.

In the end, common sense won out, according to Norrington. The film was released in its current format, and the initial ten minutes of it earned me numerous job offers. Five years down the line, I decided to leave the entertainment industry to distance myself from individuals such as the chairman.

Despite dabbling in visual and makeup effects sporadically in recent times, Norrington hasn’t taken on directorial duties for a film since 2003’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. However, he successfully advocated for the project that became Blade, resulting in an acclaimed modern action-horror film.

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2025-07-16 21:34