New Blade series on Spike TV

[Missy]

Spike TV's Blade TV Movie Announcement

Spike TV will adapt the successful theatrical franchise Blade, based on the cult favorite Marvel Superhero, as a two-hour, action-adventure, television movie in early 2006. The announcement was made by Spike TV President Doug Herzog. Blade is Herzog's first original scripted programming announcement since he took over the network earlier this year.

"The action-adventure genre is largely ignored in today's television landscape, and we know it is something that our male viewers really want," said Herzog. "Blade is a great movie franchise with an established brand that men already recognize and identify with."

Blade is the unforgettable legend of an immortal warrior who battles a thriving underworld of vampires seeking to decimate the human race. Half man and half vampire, Blade uses his fierce powers and skills to fearlessly battle the demonic creatures of the night and carry on a blood-drenched crusade to prevent the ascendance of vampires over mankind. The blockbuster film starred actor Wesley Snipes and spawned two sequels. Combined, the films have earned more than $400 million worldwide.

Blade will be produced by New Line Television and Marvel Studios. David Goyer is executive producer. He penned the three screenplays for the Blade trilogy, and produced and directed the last installment of the franchise, Blade: Trinity.

[Missy]

"I'm co-writing the pilot with Jeff Johns, and it's going to be Spike's first dramatic show, and it's going to air next June."

Goyer said that the network has ordered 13 episodes of the new series, which will center on the vampire-killing hero of the Blade films, which Goyer also wrote (he directed that last one, Blade: Trinity).

"It'll be Blade, but it's different than the movies, that's all I can say," Goyer said, adding that a new actor will be hired to portray the iconic character, who was played by Wesley Snipes in the movies.

[TheRetreater]

so its a TV Movie and a TV series, or the movie is the pilot

and does he mean comics Geoff Johns (I think it is G atleast)

I think a series could be good. atleast as good as Witchblade or Flash was (though I really enjoyed Flash it just wasn't great Television so to speak)

I feel you would really need to ignore the movies to make it work though. it is a basis and it will make the show recognizable but I just could not imagine a Blade show without the mentor figure.

[Missy]

Spike TV has cast Kirk "Sticky" Jones to star in the cable channel's premiere original drama effort Blade, reports Variety.

Based on the comic book and film franchise of the same name, Blade centers on a half-man, half-vampire warrior endeavoring to save the human race from a demonic underworld.

Feature screenwriter David Goyer (Batman Begins, the "Blade" trilogy) is executive producing and co-writing the script with the comic's author Geoff Johns. New Line Television is producing.

Spike committed to the project in spring and production is set to begin November 14 in Vancouver. Should Blade get a series pickup, Spike executives are eyeing a June 2006 premiere.

Jill Wagner, Neil Jackson, Nelson Lee and Jessica Gower round out the cast. Peter O'Fallon will direct.

Marvel's Avi Arad and New Line's Jim Rosenthal and Jon Kroll also will executive produce. Bill McGoldrick and Lisa Ullmann will oversee for Spike.

Jones was a regular on FX drama "Over There" and had a recurring role on "The Shield." He is best known, however, as frontman "Sticky Fingaz" for hip-hop group Onyx.