Spike TV and New Line Television have signed Kirk "Sticky" Jones (Over There) to star in "Blade," based on the popular Marvel comic book and film franchise of the same name. David Goyer (Batman Begins, the Blade trilogy) will serve as executive producer and co-wrote the drama with popular comic book author Geoff Johns. Peter O'Fallon (Suicide Kings, Eureka, American Gothic) is set to direct.

Production begins November 14 in Vancouver. "Blade" will premiere on Spike TV in June 2006. Jill Wagner ("Monk"), Neil Jackson ("Stargate SG-1"), Nelson Lee ("Traffic," the TV mini-series) and Jessica Gower ("Blurred") also are signed to star in the production.

"'Blade,' as envisioned by David Goyer is perfectly suited for Spike TV and its male viewers," says Pancho Mansfield, Executive Vice President, Original Programming at Spike TV. "Consistent with Goyer's feature film work, the new "Blade" promises to capture what men want to see: thrilling action and effects combined with an intelligent and highly creative story."

Spike TV's "Blade" focuses on Marvel's eponymous immortal warrior fighting a shadowy underworld of vampires who want to destroy the human race. The title character is a half-man, half-vampire who his incredible powers and skills to fearlessly battle the demonic creatures of the night in a blood-drenched crusade to prevent the ascendance of vampires over mankind.

Thanks to 'JJ'