Blackstar: The Pale King - Part 1

Blackstar: The Pale King
Directed by	Mara Venn
Written by	Nathan Cole Mara Venn
Based on	Characters by Daniel Mercer
Starring	Callum Reid Ryan Gosling Hugh Jackman Rebecca Ferguson Daisy Edgar-Jones Ryan Reynolds David Jonsson
Production company	Titan Forge Studios
Distributed by	Titan Forge Studios
Release date	2032
Country	United States
Language	English

Blackstar: The Pale King is an upcoming American superhero film based on characters from the Blackstar comic-book series created by Daniel Mercer. Produced and distributed by Titan Forge Studios, it is the sequel to Blackstar (2028) and the second film in the Blackstar film series. The film is directed by Mara Venn, who co-wrote the screenplay with Nathan Cole. It stars Callum Reid as Adrian Vale / Blackstar, alongside Ryan Gosling, Hugh Jackman, Rebecca Ferguson, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Ryan Reynolds, and David Jonsson, all reprising their roles from the first film.

Development of a sequel began during post-production on Blackstar, although its original director and co-writer Evan Rourke was initially reluctant to commit to another film. Following creative and scheduling disagreements with Titan Forge, Rourke departed the series in August 2028 and Venn was hired to direct the sequel, with Cole remaining as a writer. Development accelerated following the commercial success of Blackstar, which grossed $938.7 million worldwide. In March 2029, reports stated that the sequel was being developed under the title Blackstar: The Pale King, referencing the Pale King, a major character associated with the Void in Mercer's comics. Titan Forge officially confirmed the title in November 2029, alongside Venn and Cole's writing credits and the returning cast.

Principal photography is scheduled to begin in September 2030 and continue until February 2031, primarily in the United Kingdom, with additional location filming planned in Iceland, Norway and Central Europe. Unlike its predecessor, which was primarily set in the fictional city of Vesper, the sequel will expand its setting and feature a substantially larger portion of its story within the Void.

Blackstar: The Pale King is scheduled to be released theatrically in 2032.

Premise

Following the events of Blackstar, Adrian Vale continues to deal with the consequences of the Vesper disappearance event and his return from the Void. The film will further explore the Void and the entities that inhabit it, while Adrian encounters a threat connected to the Pale King.

Titan Forge has described Nathaniel Grey as a figure whose connection to the Void "can no longer remain hidden", while Evelyn Voss will be forced to confront information that she concealed before the original Black Fall.

Cast

• Callum Reid as Adrian Vale / Blackstar: A man who gained supernatural abilities following the Black Fall and possesses a connection to the Void. Reid reprises his role from Blackstar.
• Ryan Gosling as Nathaniel Grey: A mysterious figure with an unexplained connection to the Void. The first film established that Grey possessed knowledge of the Black Fall and Adrian that he seemingly should not have had, while Voss recognised him under unexplained circumstances.
• Hugh Jackman as the Warden: An inhabitant of the Void who possesses extensive knowledge of Adrian and the Black Fall. Jackman's role is expected to be significantly expanded from his limited appearance in the first film.
• Rebecca Ferguson as Dr. Evelyn Voss: A scientist who investigated the Black Fall and helped Adrian during the Vesper disappearance event. The sequel will further explore her history before the Black Fall and her connection to Grey.
• Daisy Edgar-Jones as Mara Vale: Adrian's younger sister, whose disappearance during the Black Fall formed a central part of the first film.
• Ryan Reynolds as Daniel Creed: A mercenary who became involved in the Vesper crisis while searching for the Orison Fragment. Titan Forge described Creed as an "unwilling participant" who understands the developing conflict more than he admits.
• David Jonsson as Detective Isaac Ward: A Vesper detective and ally of Adrian who investigated the mass disappearances in the first film.

Additional returning and new cast members are expected to be announced before filming. As of November 2029, Titan Forge has not announced an actor for the Pale King.

Production

Development

Reports of a potential sequel to Blackstar emerged in December 2026, before principal photography on the first film had begun. Early reports stated that Titan Forge Studios was considering possible continuations of Adrian Vale's story and that the Pale King, a recurring figure from the comics, had been discussed as a possible character.

Titan Forge denied in January 2027 that a sequel was in active development. Rourke similarly downplayed reports involving the Pale King, stating that there was not a "Pale King movie" in development under him.

Discussions concerning a sequel became more substantial during post-production on Blackstar. Titan Forge wanted to establish plans for another instalment before the first film was released, while Rourke was reluctant to immediately commit to directing another large-scale production. Rourke later said that he had considered returning but wanted to direct a smaller original film first.

Rourke and Titan Forge also differed over the proposed creative direction of the sequel. Rourke favoured a smaller story focused closely on Adrian following the events of the first film, while the studio wanted to expand the mythology and explore the world beyond Vesper. Rourke later characterised his proposed sequel as an intentionally unusual and psychologically focused continuation.

On August 28, 2028, Titan Forge officially announced that a sequel was in early development and that Mara Venn would direct. Venn had previously directed the science-fiction thriller Silent Vector (2025) and psychological horror film The House Beneath (2027). Nathan Cole, who co-wrote Blackstar with Rourke, remained involved in the sequel.

Venn said following her appointment that she did not intend to imitate Rourke's direction and instead wanted to explore the consequences of Adrian surviving the events of the first film. Rourke later revealed that Venn contacted him before her appointment was announced and that he encouraged her to develop her own interpretation of the series.

Rourke has no creative involvement with The Pale King. He is not serving as a writer, producer or consultant, although he has publicly expressed support for Venn.

Development accelerated following the release of Blackstar on October 6, 2028. The film received generally positive reviews and grossed $938.7 million worldwide against a reported net production budget of approximately $185 million, establishing the series as a commercially successful property for Titan Forge.

Title

In March 2029, industry insider Daniel Richton reported that the sequel was being developed under the title Blackstar: The Pale King. The title reportedly appeared on recent Titan Forge production documentation and was subsequently corroborated by another source who said that it had been used during discussions with prospective department heads.

The title was initially unconfirmed by Titan Forge. Its use led to speculation that the Pale King, whose possible involvement in a sequel had been rumoured since 2026, would be central to the film.

In Mercer's comics, the Pale King is closely associated with the Void and became one of Blackstar's major recurring adversaries following his first appearance in Blackstar #47. Different stories have provided contradictory explanations of the character, variously depicting the Pale King as a ruler or prisoner of the Void and suggesting that the name may be a title held by multiple entities.

The first film's post-credits scene had previously been interpreted as foreshadowing the character. The sequence depicts the Warden witnessing a pale light emerging from beyond a fracture in the Void before an unidentified entity reaches toward it. Rourke confirmed after the film's release that he and Cole conceived and filmed the scene before the sequel was formally commissioned.

On November 18, 2029, Titan Forge officially announced the film as Blackstar: The Pale King. The announcement included an animated title treatment in which the original Blackstar insignia changed from black to white while a crown-shaped fracture formed above it.

Writing

Cole remained involved as the sequel's screenwriter following Rourke's departure. By November 2029, Titan Forge confirmed that Venn had joined Cole as co-writer, with the screenplay credited to Nathan Cole & Mara Venn and based on characters created by Daniel Mercer.

Development of the screenplay continued throughout 2029. Although Titan Forge had initially considered releasing the film in 2031, Venn and Cole spent much of the year restructuring the story. Venn said that earlier versions placed too much emphasis on immediately expanding the mythology and scale of the first film rather than providing a personal conflict for Adrian.

According to Venn, the writing process eventually returned its focus to Adrian before expanding the supernatural elements surrounding him. She described the film as concerning "what was waiting on the other side" of the doorway explored in Blackstar.

By November 2029, the film's principal story structure had been completed, although revisions to the screenplay were continuing ahead of pre-production.

The sequel is intended to expand considerably upon the mythology of the Void. Whereas Blackstar depicted it primarily through brief sequences and Adrian's experiences within it, a substantial portion of The Pale King will take place inside the dimension.

Venn said that the production would treat the Void as a setting rather than solely as an abstract supernatural environment. Production designer Helena Ward, who worked on the first film, returned for the sequel and began developing physical environments representing different regions of the Void.

Casting

Callum Reid was attached to reprise his role as Adrian Vale / Blackstar when development of the sequel was officially announced in August 2028. Reid had signed a multi-film agreement when he was cast in the first film.

On November 18, 2029, Titan Forge formally announced Reid as part of the cast and confirmed the returns of Ryan Gosling, Hugh Jackman, Rebecca Ferguson, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Ryan Reynolds, and David Jonsson.

Gosling's return as Nathaniel Grey followed considerable speculation concerning the character's future. Blackstar deliberately left Grey's nature unexplained, depicting several supernatural events associated with him and establishing an unexplained history between Grey and Voss. Titan Forge said that Grey's connection to the Void would be further explored in the sequel.

Jackman was also confirmed to reprise his role as the Warden. His character had approximately 12–15 minutes of screen time in Blackstar, appearing primarily during sequences set within the Void. Titan Forge said that his role would be "significantly expanded" in the sequel.

Ferguson, Edgar-Jones, Reynolds and Jonsson were subsequently confirmed to reprise their respective roles as Evelyn Voss, Mara Vale, Daniel Creed and Isaac Ward. Ward's role will expand beyond Vesper, reflecting the sequel's broader geographical scope.

Despite the film's title, Titan Forge did not announce an actor as the Pale King. Venn confirmed in November 2029 that casting for the character had been discussed but declined to state whether the role had been filled. She also declined to answer whether the Pale King had previously appeared in Blackstar.

Following Gosling's return, speculation continued that Grey could be connected to the Pale King. The comics have depicted the Pale King through varying identities and manifestations, although Titan Forge has not indicated that the film will use the same interpretation.

Design

Helena Ward returned from Blackstar as production designer. Early design work began before full pre-production, with the production developing several large physical environments representing areas within the Void.

Venn wanted to retain the first film's combination of practical environments and digital extensions rather than depicting the Void primarily through digital backgrounds. The expanded role of the Void is expected to require a larger number of constructed sets than the first film.

The sequel is also intended to visually distinguish different regions of the Void, expanding upon the fractured landscapes and structures depicted in Blackstar.

Filming

Principal photography is scheduled to begin in September 2030 and continue for approximately five to six months, concluding in February 2031.

Filming will primarily take place in the United Kingdom, where the first film was also principally produced. Additional location photography is planned in Iceland, Norway and Central Europe. Specific filming locations have not been announced.

The international production represents an expansion from Blackstar, which was largely centred on constructed environments representing Vesper. The sequel will feature locations outside the city as well as substantially more material set within the Void.

Pre-production is expected to begin in early 2030.

Budget

Titan Forge has not disclosed the film's production budget. In March 2029, early reports suggested that the sequel could cost between $200 million and $220 million, compared with the first film's approximately $185 million net production budget.

By November, preliminary estimates had increased to approximately $210–225 million. The increased cost was attributed to the larger returning ensemble, international location filming and the construction and visual-effects work required for the expanded Void environments.

The budget remained subject to change ahead of principal photography.

Release

Blackstar: The Pale King is scheduled to be released theatrically in 2032 by Titan Forge Studios. An exact release date has not been announced.

During early development, Titan Forge reportedly targeted a 2031 release. The year was never publicly announced by the studio, and Venn later said that the film required a longer development period than initially anticipated. Titan Forge formally announced 2032 as the film's release year in November 2029.

The revised schedule allows principal photography to take place between September 2030 and February 2031, followed by an extended post-production period.

Marketing

Titan Forge publicly announced the title Blackstar: The Pale King on November 18, 2029, approximately three years before its planned release.

The announcement was accompanied by a brief title animation rather than footage from the film. It begins on a black screen as the Blackstar insignia appears. The insignia gradually changes from black through grey to white before a crown-shaped fracture forms above the central star, followed by the title Blackstar: The Pale King.

The announcement also confirmed the film's 2032 release year, principal cast, writing team and September 2030 production start.

No footage, character images or tagline accompanied the announcement.

Relationship with Blackstar

The Pale King continues several unresolved storylines from Blackstar, including Adrian's connection to the Void, the nature of Nathaniel Grey, the history between Grey and Evelyn Voss, Mara Vale's condition following the Vesper crisis, and the consequences of the Orison Fragment.

The first film's post-credits scene is expected to directly inform the sequel. It depicts the Warden observing an unidentified entity beyond a fracture in the Void after Adrian has returned to his world. The entity states that Adrian "opened the way", while the Warden responds that Adrian had closed it "for him".

The reported sequel title initially led viewers to identify the entity with the Pale King. Titan Forge has not officially confirmed that interpretation.

Venn has described the thematic relationship between the two films by saying that Blackstar concerned "surviving the door opening", while The Pale King concerns "what was waiting on the other side".