A year that cut both ways

It has been a rough year for Wesley Snipes.

“Blade: Trinity,” the third in a series of vampire action movies starring Snipes in his signature role as a half-human, half-vampire fighter, has been a disappointment at the box office. Released Dec. 8, the film has grossed less than $40 million as of last week -- compare that with the $31 million first weekend gross for “Blade 2” in 2002.

Snipes’ on-set behavior did not endear him to executives at New Line Cinema. While the studio has not made any official statements, it is unlikely that Snipes’ run as the do-gooder vampire Blade will continue. Even if there is another sequel, it likely will be made without him.

The actor, once considered a rising star on the order of Denzel Washington, has two films coming out in 2005: the action thriller “Chaos” and the low-budget action film “7 Seconds.” On the personal front, Snipes has yet to take a paternity test ordered by the state of New York in a suit filed by an Indiana woman, and there is still a warrant out for his arrest in that case.

Last week, Snipes’ attorney filed suit against the state of New York asserting that the court had no jurisdiction in the case because the actor’s residence is in Florida and that the court had violated the actor’s civil rights.