"They gave me the R, which is so important,” Demange said. Where as Demange once said that his personal turmoil gave him an outsider’s perspective that was helpful, he feels more at peace now, having faced his demons in the film he made.

“I come out of this wanting to be more open, more vulnerable and bring a more personal aspect to my work,” he said. “But for Blade, we are going to have fun because Mahershala is such a deep actor. I’m excited to show a kind of ruthlessness, a roughness he has, that allows him to walk the earth in a particular way. I love him for that. He’s got a dignity and integrity, but there is a ferocity there that he usually keeps under the surface. I want to unleash that and put it on the screen.”