Hey folks, Harry here with some clarafications on BLADE 2 that have been going around online. First up is a report that appeared on Coming Attractions' BLADE 2 Page. On January 6th an 'anonymous' report allegedly coming from within the 'pre-production crew' detailed some execs lack of confidence in Guillermo Del Toro and his crew specifically Guillermo Navarro, the Director of Photography on films like SPY KIDS, STUART LITTLE, CRONOS and Del Toro's recent THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE, as filming BLADE 2.
First off, I have never met anyone in the business that would talk shit about Navarro's DP work... He is an extremely talented DP and is considered to be a top DP... Look at his work in JACKIE BROWN and DESPERADO... Really really sweet. BUT... I don't see why any New Line executives would be fretting over him, since he isn't shooting BLADE 2, and was never scheduled to shoot it. Early on, Guillermo offered Navarro the gig, but Navarro didn't want to go to Prague for 6 months and wanted to stay closer to his family as he has been working non-stop. The actual Director of Photography on BLADE 2 is Gabriel Beristáin, who shot DOLORES CLAIBORNE, THE SPANISH PRISONER and K2. This is the first time Del Toro and he have worked on a film together.
Also, recently Comics Continuum reported that Traci Lords would be back in BLADE 2 playing the twin sister of her vampiric babe in BLADE. This is also not true. For a brief period of time in the script this was to be the case, but as the film has moved forward Guillermo has left this by the wayside abandoning it as being little more than an expensive injoke that didn't advance the story at all.
Also it is true that Donnie Yen has been approached about being in BLADE 2, but so far... is unsigned, as bargaining and details of the deal have yet to be mutually agreed upon.
And that folks is the latest from the world of BLADE 2!
This is a reply from Comics Continuum about their original report:
A quick clarification: We never reported that Traci Lords was cast in the Blade sequel. We ran the following quote from Timothy Bradstreet:
"The idea for Verlaine is that she is the twin sister of the Traci Lords character from the first film. I know that they are trying to get her but she wasn't contracted before I left. They did a few auditions for the Bloodpack in L.A. but I believe that most of the parts will be cast from London."
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