By Natalie Hunter For Dailymail.Com
Published: 07:35 EDT, 19 August 2023 | Updated: 07:35 EDT, 19 August 2023 Wind Turbine Blade Cost
Long before the days of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Disney's affiliation with the franchise, a film based on comic book character Blade hit theaters in 1998.
Two sequels and 25 years later, Disney's MCU is ready to give its own take on the film for Phase 5 in the multiverse saga.
But fans won't be quick to forget the original film.
In fact, this movie could be credited for the success of superhero cinema as it was Marvel's first big film.
Long before the days of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Disney's affiliation with the franchise, a film based on comic book character Blade hit theaters in 1998
The box-office hit follows half-mortal, half-immortal Blade (Wesley Snipes) who is set to destroy all vampires in order to avenge his mother, Vanessa (Sanaa Lathan).
The film also stars Stephen Dorff as Blade's main nemesis Deacon Frost.
Blade rescues hematologist Karen Jenson (N'Bushe Wright) after she's been bitten by a vampire and ends up being his partner-in-crime.
Also featured is Kris Kristofferson as Blade mentor Abraham Whistler.
Plenty has gone down in these actors' lives since the film wrapped 25 years ago.
Some have faced off with the IRS, with Snipes going to jail for tax evasion, while Dorff was sued by the bank for an overdue loan.
Others have faced tragedy as Wright's father was murdered and Kristofferson was misdiagnosed with Alzheimer's.
Here are the events that have occurred in these stars' lives since Blade hit theaters.
Wesley Snipes's name is almost synonymous with Blade (left) still to this day. He is pictured right in 2020
Wesley Snipes's name is almost synonymous with Blade still to this day.
The film starring Snipes as a vampire hunter found so much success that he jumped into filming the sequel, Blade II, in 2002.
During this time, he also began dating his wife-to-be, Nakyung 'Nikki' Park. The two welcomed their first daughter, Akehnaten Kihwa-T, in 2000.
They also welcomed their second daughter, Iset Jua-T, a year later in 2001.
They ultimately tied the knot in 2003 and welcomed their third child and first son, Alaafia Jehu-T, in 2004 - the same year that Blade: Trinity hit theaters.
Their fourth and final child, Alimayu Moa-T, was welcomed into the world in 2007, just one year before Snipes was charged with tax evasion.
The Coming 2 America actor was accused of failing to pay $15 million worth of taxes in the state of Florida.
The film starring Snipes as a vampire hunter found so much success that he jumped into filming the sequel, Blade II, in 2002
Snipes was found guilty of failing to file tax returns in April 2008.
Some of his famous friends, including Woody Harrelson and Denzel Washington, also pleaded for his freedom.
Two-time Oscar winner Washington wrote to US District Court judge William Terrell Hodges asking that Snipes be spared a prison sentence.
'Wesley is like a mighty oak tree,' he penned.
'Many who know him have witnessed the fruit of his labors. I have sat in his shade and even been protected by his presence.'
Woody Harrelson, who said he had known Snipes for two decades and starred alongside him in the movie, Wildcats, said his friend was 'a true citizen of the world.'
'He strives for rightness in all his relations and it is an honor to call Wes my brother,' he said.
In spite of pleas from his famous friends, Snipes was found guilty and sentenced to three years in prison (pictured)
In spite of these pleas, Snipes was found guilty and sentenced to three years in prison.
He attempted to appeal the sentence in July 2010, but to no avail.
Snipes spoke on Larry King Live the day before his sentence began in December 2010.
'We still have prayers out there. We still believe in miracles. So don't send me up the river yet,' he said.
He also clasped his hands together and urged viewers 'pray for me.'
But Snipes cautioned: 'I think any man would be nervous if his liberty is at stake.'
He added: 'Given the length of time that they are suggesting that I be away from my family, away from my profession, away from my ability to provide for my family and for those who have depended upon me to contribute to society... I think anyone would be nervous about that.'
The following day, he headed to jail. Despite issuing another appeal to the Supreme Court in 2011, it was turned down and he ended up serving 28 months.
He was released in April 2013 and while he was able to return to acting with films like The Expendables 3, it was clear that his jail time took a toll on his career.
Upon reflecting on his time in prison, he told The Guardian: 'I hope I came out a better person.' He's pictured in 2022
Upon reflecting on his time in prison, he told The Guardian: 'I hope I came out a better person.
'I came out a clearer person. Clearer on my values, clearer on my purpose, clearer about my relationship with my ancestors and the great god and the great goddess above, and clearer on what I was going to do once I had my freedom back.'
While he was in prison, he faced accusations from Patton Oswalt that he attempted to strangle Blade: Trinity director David Goyer.
'Let me tell you one thing. If I had tried to strangle David Goyer, you probably wouldn't be talking to me now,' he told The Guardian of the claims.
'A Black guy with muscles strangling the director of a movie is going to jail, I guarantee you,' the actor said, adding that the incident 'never happened.'
'This is part of the challenges that we as African Americans face here in America – these microaggressions. The presumption that one white guy can make a statement and that statement stands as true,' the Demolition Man star continued.
'All it takes is one person, Mr. Oswalt, who I really don't know,' Snipes elaborated. 'I can barely remember him on the set, but it's fascinating that his statement alone was enough to make people go: "Yeah, you know Snipes has got a problem."'
The actor added: 'I remind you that I was one of the executive producers of the project. I had contractual director approval. I was not just the actor for hire. I had authority to say, to dictate, to decide. This was a hard concept for a lot of people to wrap their heads around.'
The Blade star (pictured) has linked up with a new messaging app called NYNJA, which utilizes cryptocurrency - and he believes it's the future of movie-making
He also expressed interest in making another Blade movie.
Wesley told The Hollywood Reporter: 'I am very much open to all of the possibilities. If Blade 4 comes along, that is a conversation we can have. There are other characters in the Marvel Universe that, if they want to invite me to play around with, I am with that too.'
However, any hopes of that have since been thwarted with MCU's rendition of it and recasting Blade with actor Mahershala Ali.
Snipes also found a new hobby and tried his hand as a cryptocurrency entrepreneur, DailyMail.com revealed in 2018.
The Blade star, now 61, linked up with a new messaging app called NYNJA which utilizes cryptocurrency - and he believed it was the future of movie-making.
He told DailyMail.com: 'The NYNJA mobile communicator has the potential to lead the pack in the secure communications space.
'I love the app and the spirit of its creators. As an on-set solution for film production this tool is pure "fiyah."
'It's like tech-jujitsu. Simple solution to a complex problem. And when they told me the product name was NYNJA, I was all in... maybe it's a Blade thing.'
After Wright played Blade's right-hand woman Karen, she went on to have a successful career in the 2000s
After Wright played Blade's right-hand woman Karen, she went on to have a successful career in the 2000s.
She booked lead roles in the films Civil Brand (2002), Joy Road (2004), God's Forgotten House (2005) and Restraining Order (2006).
She also appeared on the TV series Widows (2004) and Platinum (2003).
However, she seemingly stepped away from Hollywood after 2006.
Her name didn't resurface again until 2011 when her father, Stanley, was tragically murdered.
She booked lead roles in the films Civil Brand (2002), pictured left, and Restraining Order (2006), right
The former jazz musician was found dead in a storage trunk inside his own home.
The Dead Presidents actress was mentioned when DailyMail.com reported that she flew from Los Angeles to New York to be with her family.
She didn't speak out at the time, but his family members had plenty to say.
Stanley's great-niece Minnie said: 'This is crazy? Who would do something like that to him? He was a musician. He was a great man.'
His sister, Theresa, told CBS 2 that she thought whoever killed the man 'knew him very well.'
'I can't even think who would do something like this to my brother,' she said.
Wright opened up about how she coped with the loss of her father in 2021
'They (he and his wife) was married over 40-something years. That was his childhood sweetheart,' the victim's sister also told 1010 WINS.
The actress remained quiet about his death for years until 2019 when she uploaded a picture of herself and her father to Instagram.
'I miss you and love you Daddy,' she wrote on the caption of the picture, which was snapped at the 1995 Dead Presidents premiere.
She also opened up about how she coped with the loss of her father in 2021.
Along with a video of her dancing, she wrote: 'So many have asked how have I gotten over the pain of losing my dad, honestly it's been a spiritual, psychological, emotional, and physical healing joy, joy, joy.'
The now 52-year-old also returned to acting around that time with the film, A Talent for Trouble (2018).
Dorff's portrayal of the villain Deacon Frost in Blade is his most notable role to date and propelled him towards a successful career in Hollywood
Dorff's portrayal of the villain Deacon Frost in Blade is his most notable role to date and propelled him towards a successful career in Hollywood.
In 2003, he appeared alongside A-listers Dennis Quaid and Sharon Stone in Cold Creek Manor.
He also went on to star in World Trade Center (2006), Felon (2008), Somewhere (2010) and Immortals (2011).
As he gained more of a name for himself, he started dating some high-profile stars.
In 2012, he was rumored to have been with The Hills star Lauren Conrad.
He also went on to star in Felon (2008). As he gained more of a name for himself, he started dating some high-profile stars
As he gained more of a name for himself, he started dating some high-profile stars like Charlotte McKinney. Pictured together in 2015
'They've been hooking up for a while,' a source close to Dorff told Life & Style magazine at the time.
'Stephen likes to have a good time, and he wines and dines her,' her friend said.
The two were even spotted getting flirty at her birthday party that year.
However, he seemed to have quickly moved on to Danish model Katharina Damm, whom he dated from 2012 to 2014.
The two were spotted sharing a kiss in Sydney on New Year's Eve in 2014.
He then dated model Charlotte McKinney. The two had been spotted on dates throughout the course of their relationship in 2015 and 2016.
However, McKinney decided to break it off in 2016 - reportedly due to his infidelity.
'He was fooling around with other women,' a source told Page Six at the time.
'Charlotte has been dating Stephen for a while, but he carried on texting other women and inviting them over to his house on the beach in Malibu.'
While his luck with the ladies seemingly ran out, he was also hit with a lawsuit in 2017.
According to TMZ, City National Bank filed legal documents to recover $805,953.23 from the actor.
The bank claimed the 43-year-old and his production company took out the loan and maxed it out.
While his luck with the ladies seemingly ran out, he was also hit with a lawsuit in 2017. According to TMZ , City National Bank filed legal documents to recover $805,953.23 from the actor
This may have been what motivated him to list his Malibu mansion for $8.5 million earlier that year.
At the time of writing, there have been no further reported updates about the situation.
He continued to act in spite of his financial woes, starring in Old Henry (2021) and Mob Land (2023).
However, that doesn't mean he loves the direction Hollywood has gone in.
He recently slammed Disney and Marvel for their new Blade movie.
'God bless them, they're making a bunch of money, but their movies suck,' he said of Marvel films in a new interview with The Daily Beast, adding: 'Nobody's going to remember them.'
'How's that PG Blade movie going for you, that can't get a director? Because anybody who goes there is going to be laughed at by everyone, because we already did it and made it the best,' the now 50-year-old stated.
'There's no Steve Norrington out there,' he added, paying homage to the original Blade director.
Blade was Lathan's first lead role in a feature film (left) and it lead to an extremely successful career. Pictured right in 2023
Blade was Lathan's first lead role in a feature film and it lead to an extremely successful career.
She went on to star in her biggest films yet including Love & Basketball (2000), Alien vs Predator (2004) and Something New (2006).
The actress kept her head down and managed to stay out of drama up until 2018.
While she had hit projects throughout the 2010s including The Perfect Guy (2015), all fans could think about is whether or not she bit Beyoncé.
The wild accusation came about after Tiffany Haddish claimed an unnamed actress bit the Halo singer during an interview with GQ in 2018.
'There was this actress there that's just, like, doing the mostest. She bit Beyoncé in the face,' Haddish revealed to the magazine.
'So Beyoncé stormed away, went up to JAY-Z, and was like, "Jay! Come here! This b****' and snatched him.
She went on to star in her biggest films yet including Alien vs Predator (2004)
She also starred in Something New (2006) before she was accused of biting Beyoncé
'They went to the back of the room. I was like, "What just happened?' And Beyoncé's friend walked up and was like, "Can you believe this b**** just bit Beyoncé?"'
Haddish then explained: 'I said to Beyonce: "Did she really bite you?" She was like: "Yeah." I was like: "She gonna get her a** beat tonight."'
But Haddish said Beyoncé 'was like: "Tiffany, no. Don't do that. That b**** is on drugs. She not even drunk. The b**** is on drugs. She not like that all the time. Just chill."'
Fans instantly began to theorize about who chomped Beyoncé and came up with Lathan as one of the suspects.
The actress publicly denied she was responsible, tweeting: 'Y'all are funny. Under no circumstances did I bite Beyoncé and if I did it would've been a love bite.'
However, after sources claimed it was the Blade star, Haddish seemingly backed those accusations by stating that Lathan's parents approached her after the incident.
'I'm super good friends with her stepmom and her dad, and they were mad at me,' Haddish said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
'They were like, "Why would you do this to the family? You know, black actresses, you guys have to stick together, it's so hard for you guys to get work as it is, why would you try to ruin her career?"'
Haddish then explained: 'But I didn't try to ruin her career. I never said her name! I was just trying to say how Beyoncé kept me from goin' to jail that night. I coulda just shut my whole career down.'
Lathan doubled down on denying the Beyoncé bite during an interview with Health Magazine.
The actress managed to move past the Beyoncé biting controversy
'I think it's the most absurd thing I've ever been involved with,' Lathan told the magazine.
'Thank God I've been in this business for 20 years and have had so many rumors about me. They used to devastate me in my 20s, but in order to survive in this business, you just have to let it roll.'
The actress continued, 'I adore Beyoncé. I would never do anything malicious like that—to her, or to anyone. It's so bizarre. I thought it was the funniest thing ever that it was a news story. It's so crazy.'
In regards to Beyoncé's alleged theory that the actress was on drugs, Lathan interestingly enough made the decision to become sober that same year in 2018.
'I stopped drinking about three years ago,' she told People in 2021. 'Alcohol was not going well with me physically. Just, it was not working anymore.'
The actress, now 51, managed to move past the controversy and was revered for her moving performance in the Netflix film, Nappily Ever After (2018).
She also appeared on the hit TV series, Succession, and has stepped into directing with the film On the Come Up (2022).
While Kristofferson made an acting career for himself in films like Blade, he has declared that he is first and foremost a musician
While Kristofferson made an acting career for himself in films like Blade, he has declared that he is first and foremost a musician.
'The music is who I am. When I was a little boy I was writing songs, but I started doing them both (acting and performing) and was getting hired in the same week,' he told FOX411.
Still, he returned for both Blade II and Blade: Trinity, and continued to act in films like Disappearances (2006) and Lords Of The Street (2008).
Even in his films, he made a point to create opportunities to sing like in Bloodworth (2010) in which he plays a country singer.
However, he was forced to slow his career down when he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2013.
During the time of his diagnosis, he and his wife, Lisa Meyers, shared his struggles with FOX411.
'I wish my memory weren't so bad,' he lamented to the network.
Kristofferson returned for both Blade II and Blade: Trinity
However, he was forced to slow his career down when he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2013
'They tell me it's from all the football and boxing and the concussions that I got. A couple of years ago my memory just started going. But I can remember my songs so I can perform, but other than that....'
His wife, Lisa, shared the moment she knew that something was off with her husband.
'The first thing I noticed was that he lost his keen sense of smell. The next thing I noticed was his spatial awareness was off. I had to watch him constantly, it was very consistent with Alzheimer's,' she told HuffPost in 2016.
She said that the most traumatic change to her husband was in his personality.
'I think describing it as flat is the best way to explain it,' she said. 'Because he is such a charismatic, funny, fun person and his intellect is so amazing. Over the course of treating him for Alzheimer's, there was a slow slipping away.'
Despite Kristofferson's memory loss, the veteran performer insisted he was 'blessed' and couldn't be happier with his life.
He thankfully had made a healthy recovery and has gone on to enjoy retirement after he announced he was stepping away from his career in entertainment in 2021
'I am very lucky. And on top of that I have a wife that has been married to me for 33 years and I have got eight children and they all like me,' he said. 'I am very blessed and am at a very good point in my life.'
As for how the two cope, she states: 'You just make the best of each day and try not to worry about tomorrow.'
However, in 2016, Kristofferson received his second life-changing diagnosis when test results revealed his Alzheimer's was in fact Lyme disease.
Within just three weeks of starting Lyme disease treatment, his wife, Lisa, said her husband 'suddenly came back.'
'His whole personality came back after three years,' Lisa told the Huffington Post.
'We were driving back from his sixth HBOT treatment and he looks over at me and says, "Wow, I feel like I'm back." And I looked right in his eyes and I said, "OH MY GOD, HE'S BACK! It was like, WHOA!"'
He has thankfully made a healthy recovery and has gone on to enjoy retirement after he announced he was stepping away from his career in entertainment in 2021.
However, he seems to be making moves now. Earlier this month, the country superstar placed his Northern California ranch of almost 40 years on the market.
Forged Blade The retired singer-songwriter, now 87, recently listed the sprawling oceanfront compound for a cool $17.2 million, The Wall Street Journal first reported.