Mahershala Ali's Lost 'Blade' Opens at TIFF — SkimNews
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- "Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother" made its world premiere at TIFF on Saturday night, with a theatrical release set for Sept. 25
- Mahershala Ali stars as Latif, a devout Muslim hitman who goes on the run with his teenage daughter, 10-year-old son Jahleel Kamara, and newborn baby after his wife's sudden death, hunting for breast milk and clashing with cult leader Hwan (John Cho)
- Bassam Tariq was hired by Marvel Studios to direct "Blade" with Ali in 2021, exited as director in 2022 due to production delays, stayed on as executive producer, and by July 2026 Ali confirmed the superhero film was dead
- Ali deployed more than a year of martial-arts training originally done for "Blade," and shot the film during Ramadan, fasting while training in Los Angeles before production began
- Stunt coordinator Adam Hart choreographed the fight sequences in a compressed schedule, with Ali praising what he was "able to choreograph and pull off within the time that we had,"
- Adia, making her breakout turn as Ali's rebellious onscreen daughter, credited Ali as "an incredibly generous soul in scene work" who gave her space for tough emotional scenes
Why it matters: The years of sword-and-martial-arts training Mahershala Ali did for a Marvel film that never came together now anchor a TIFF world premiere — a real creative landing pad for both Ali, whose performance Variety flags for "serious awards consideration," and director Bassam Tariq, whose Blade exit turned into an auteur showcase with a Sept. 25 theatrical rollout.
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