Blade is a 1998 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character. The first installment in the Blade franchise, it was directed by Stephen Norrington and written by David S. Goyer. Wesley Snipes stars as Blade, a human with vampire strengths but not their weaknesses, who battles other vampires. The supporting cast includes Stephen Dorff, Kris Kristofferson and N'Bushe Wright.
Blade was released in the United States on August 21, 1998, and was a commercial success, grossing $131 million on a budget of $45 million. It is also hailed as one of Snipes's signature roles.
Blade was noted as a dark superhero film for its time, as well as being Marvel's first successful film. It was followed by two sequels, Blade II (2002) and Blade: Trinity (2004). Snipes reprised his role as Blade in the 2024 film Deadpool & Wolverine.
