Marvel Canceled ‘Blade,’ But the Gory Vampire Brawler ‘Half’ Will Thrill Genre Fans
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New coverage adds detail on how Samjad shaped *Half*’s action and visual style, and the production setbacks the team faced. The Indian film follows twin half-vampires who survive a roadside attack and seek revenge, offering a raw vampire brawler for genre fans while Marvel’s planned *Blade* remains unmade.
Samjad aimed for grounded fights without slow motion, using clear action, often filmed in daylight, and a look inspired by 1980s and 1990s cinema. The shoot endured desert heat reaching 56°C, storms that destroyed equipment and a temporary evacuation during the India-Pakistan conflict; filming resumed two months later. In the film’s mythology, sunlight stops the twins’ healing but does not make them burn.
- New details show how Samjad built *Half*’s raw action style.
- Desert storms destroyed sets and equipment during filming.
- Production paused amid the India-Pakistan conflict, then resumed two months later.
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Marvel cancelled its long-planned Blade project, leaving a gap in the market for vampire-themed action cinema aimed at genre enthusiasts. Half, an Indian film from director Samjad, offers an alternative, following twin half-vampires who pursue revenge after surviving a violent roadside attack.
The film blends daytime action sequences with a visual style inspired by 1980s and 1990s cinema, and features fight choreography by Very Tri Yulisman. It has gained attention at major film festivals including TIFF's Midnight Madness and Fantastic Fest.
The production overcame extreme heat, destructive storms and a temporary evacuation during the India-Pakistan conflict before resuming filming two months later. Half also introduces its own vampire mythology, where sunlight prevents healing but does not cause burning, setting it apart from traditional vampire lore.
Full account
Marvel Studios' decision to shelve its 'Blade' remake starring Mahershala Ali has left a void in the vampire action genre. However, Indian filmmaker Samjad has stepped in with 'Half', a gritty and visceral vampire thriller that promises to satisfy fans of Wesley Snipes' original vigilante vampire. The film marks a starkly different approach to vampire storytelling within the action realm.
'Half' centres on twin siblings who share half-vampire heritage and must recuperate from a brutal assault on a roadside before embarking on a bloody quest for vengeance against their attackers. The narrative unfolds as an uninhibited display of combat and gore, orchestrated by Very Tri Yulisman, the fight choreographer behind 'The Raid 2' and 'The Night Comes for Us'. Samjad deliberately rejected the polished aesthetic typically associated with action cinema, opting instead for an unvarnished, unflinching execution devoid of slow-motion sequences.
The production was beset by extraordinary obstacles. Filming took place in desert conditions where temperatures reached 56 degrees Celsius, yet weather patterns proved treacherously unpredictable, with sudden hailstorms destroying sets and equipment. Most dramatically, armed conflict between India and Pakistan forced the crew to abandon production for several days. Visually, Samjad pursued a deliberately antiquated aesthetic, employing zoom lenses and practical camera techniques reminiscent of 1980s and 1990s filmmaking to achieve effects that modern technology might accomplish through digital means.
The cancellation of Marvel's 'Blade' project inflicted considerable personal turmoil on its original director, Bassam Tariq. The filmmaker described his departure as a profound emotional reckoning, acknowledging feelings of inadequacy after the venture collapsed. Tariq had envisioned an elaborate 1920s-set vampire narrative featuring stunning production design and ambitious sequences, including a horse chase through a speakeasy. However, he cited creative constraints and incomplete planning as contributing factors to the project's demise, particularly lamenting the loss of production designer Stefania Cella's intricate work.
Where outlets differ
Source 1 focuses on the new film 'Half' as a positive alternative to Marvel's cancelled project, whilst Source 2 concentrates on the emotional impact and career setback experienced by original Blade director Bassam Tariq
Source 1 emphasises the technical and artistic vision of 'Half', particularly its rejection of slow-motion and retro cinematography, whereas Source 2 provides specific details about what the Marvel Blade film would have contained (1920s setting, speakeasy sequences, horse chases)
Source 1 highlights production obstacles faced whilst making 'Half' (extreme weather, military conflict), whilst Source 2 addresses creative and procedural constraints at Marvel (inability to control script development, incomplete pre-production)