Bassam Tariq turns abandoned Blade reboot into Mahershala Ali thriller
Bassam Tariq has completed "Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother," an original thriller starring Mahershala Ali after the pair's Marvel's Blade reboot project was abandoned in 2022. Despite 18 months of intensive preparation including choreographed fight sequences, the Blade film was shelved before filming began due to script issues, freeing Tariq to pursue this stylish genre piece. The director says he is "happier I made this movie."
In Tariq's Houston-set neo-western, Ali plays Latif, a devout Muslim contract killer who justifies his violence as divine retribution and wields a sword as part of his moral code. The film explores tensions between Houston's religious communities through conflict between Ali's character and Jon Cho's militant evangelical Pastor Hwan, examining how cuts to social services have bound communities to religious institutions. Styled as a blend of Steven Soderbergh's "The Limey" and Nicolas Winding Refn's "Drive," the film grapples with grief, spirituality, violence and fatherhood within the context of Texas's current cultural climate.
- Blade reboot abandoned in 2022 after 18 months of prep without a finished script.
- Tariq's new Houston thriller stars Mahershala Ali as a devout Muslim contract killer.
- Film explores faith, violence and religious tensions in contemporary Texas.
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Film director Bassam Tariq was engaged to direct a Blade reboot for Marvel Studios starring Mahershala Ali. After 18 months of intensive preparation, the project was shelved in 2022 owing to script problems before any filming could begin.
Tariq and Ali subsequently worked together on an entirely different film instead. "Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother" is an original thriller set in Houston exploring themes of religion, violence and morality.
Ali plays Latif, a devout Muslim contract killer who sees his violent acts as divine retribution. The film centres on conflict between his character and an evangelical pastor, played by Jon Cho, examining how religious institutions have become more significant to communities as social services have been reduced.
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Originally published by The Guardian as “How Bassam Tariq pivoted from stalled Blade reboot to new Mahershala Ali thriller: ‘I’m happier I made this movie’”.