Although director David Twohy and Vin Diesel have been talking about a Riddick sequel for years, pre-production is finally ramping up on the next installment in “The Chronicles of Riddick.”

Diesel revealed on his Facebook page yesterday the first piece of artwork for the film. The pic is the first frame in an animated motion choreography study entitled “The Furian… Left for Dead.”

Unfortunately, plot details for the movie are still being kept secret. All we know is that the tone of this film should match more closely with that of Pitch Black.

Riddick 3 should shoot sometime this year.

Richard B. Riddick. Mercenary, criminal, hero and soon to be proud owner of his own trilogy, the character created by David Twohy in 2000′s Pitch Black, is headed back to the big screen.

It was announced a few weeks ago that ‘Riddick’, the third film in the franchise, would bring back Vin Diesel in the title role and return to the smaller scope of the original film. 2004′s sequel, The Chronicles of Riddick abandoned the  dark survival horror underpinnings of  Pitch Black and expanded the world in a way that felt like Star Wars meets Conan. It had its moments, but was far from successful.

This past week, at the European Film Market expo, the details of the third entry’s plot were revealed. The Hollywood Reporter provided this synopsis:

“Though billed as a back-to-basics approach to the character popularized by Diesel, the script features the character — the most wanted man in the galaxy — left for dead on a barren alien planet, dealing with “trisons” (three-legged bisons) and “mud demons.” He must then contend with two squads of bounty hunters, one of which ride rockets called jetcycles.”

Odd creatures, a solitary location, and threats both human and alien; it certainly sounds like an attempt to take the elements that made the first successful and replicate them. Not sure about how a three-legged bison actually gets around, but I’m game to find out. I just hope they keep closer to the emotional core of the character here than they did in Chronicles. The redemptive arc and moment of sacrifice at the end of Pitch Black charted a new course for Riddick and left him a different man. Let’s see a greater emphasis on that inner turmoil, the war between the scoundrel and the hero and less messy mumbo jumbo like the ‘Underverse.’

So far so good. Monsters? check. Bounty Hunters? check. Jetcycles? Double check.

What do you guys think? Is Riddick past his sell-by date, or does he have one more adventure in him?

Vin Diesel, last seen in Fast and Furious, has hired former Universal executive David Ortiz (a man behind Step Brothers and Wanted, amongst others) to begin developing films under Diesel’s One Race production label. The goal is to develop films for a “global audience,” which would seem to be the end goal of any large production company.

Diesel intends to create films for a multicultural audience in a variety of markets: “David brings a fresh perspective to our slate,” Diesel said. “We are looking to him to bring us projects that resonate with multicultural audiences domestically and abroad.”

Ortiz previously worked for Universal executive Donna Langley, who’s now focused on The Wolfman for Joe Johnston.

Will Diesel’s much-hyped Hannibal film be produced partly under One Race’s roof? That would probably do wonders for the establishment of the company.

The Hollywood Reporter has claimed that USC Film School grad Ericson Core, DP for films such as The Fast and the Furious and Daredevil (and director of Invincible), will be handling directing duties on the third xXx film.

The sequel, entitled XXX: The Return of Xander Cage, will bring back Vin Diesel into the fold — the second franchise he’s returned to in an effort to rebuild some faith with audiences. While originally the film was supposed to be directed by Rob Cohen, who handled the first film, some key players from the project are still in place.

Particularly, Michael Ferris and John Brancato (writers of Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines and Catwoman) have formed a script which has been polished by the writer of the original film, Richard Wilkes.

Vin Diesel has approved Core’s presence on the film, likely due to a good relationship on the set of The Fast and the Furious. Core has proven that he has an eye for action (and Invincible wasn’t entirely devoid of good drama), so let’s hope this makes up for the abysmal XXX: State of the Union.

I can appreciate solid, fun action films like Point Break, Punisher: War Zone, or if you want to go really stupid Van Damme’s Street Fighter.  No one expects terrific acting or award-winning screenplays of any kind. Instead these films demand some kickass action or at the very least to be so bad and laughable that they’re entertaining. Unfortunately I seem to be in a minority who feels the Fast and the Furious films don’t fall into that category. I’ve never seen the appeal of buying a Honda Civic and tricking it out when one could save up his/her cash and buy a real sports car like a Ferrari or Lamborghini. However, smarter (or stupider) people than I have shelled out enough cash for these flicks, so much that Universal has graced us with a forth entry, Fast and Furious.

This installment shows Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) having a life of knocking off trucks in the Dominican Republic with the help of two Latino fellows and Han Lue (Sung Kang). After Letty is murdered in L.A., Dominic returns to hunt down Braga (the delightful John Ortiz) and his gang. Who, seemingly coincidental, is also being hunted down by Brian O’Connor (Paul Walker), now an FBI agent. Brian and Dom are recruited by Braga to drive his drugs across the border. Fast cars, hot girls, some spectacular action, and a ton of CG ensue!

To be honest, they tried to tell a story this time around and those are the best parts of the movie. The pre-title sequence with Dom, Letty, Han, and two Latino fellows ripping off an oil truck is thrilling and engaging even if a little implausible in it’s conclusion. From there it goes along pretty decently until it goes off road and crashes in a fiery explosion. Dom and Brian team up, and then the film becomes the stereotype. Not that it wasn’t before, it’s just the film was doing a decent job of telling an actual story that it’s disappointing to see it turn to this. Some of the worst one-liners ever said in a movie are thrown at you like “I like all kinds of body no matter the make” or “I like a girl who can get oil under her fingernails.” I assumed Chris Morgan gave up writing the script at that point and set Final Draft or whatever he uses to auto-pilot.

For these types of films though, that can be forgiven provided the action is good and the leads are solid enough to make it work. Unfortunately like the script, the action spins out of control midway through. Justin Lin does some great work with the opening chase sequence where the overly CGI finish is forgivable. I even might say I loved the on-foot chase between O’Connor and a thug in Braga’s gang even if it was a little too Bourne-esque. The car chase through L.A. is where the wheels begin to spin off. It’s not a bad scene, but we’re given shots that literally could be in WipeOut. The chases through Mexico overuse the CGI to the point of annoyance. If the L.A. chase is WipeOut, then some scenes in Mexico could be Gran Turismo 5. What’s worse is it looks like scenes where they didn’t need to use the CG at all, but felt they had to.

The other ingredient to a decent action film is a charismatic lead and like the first film in this series, Fast and Furious lacks that. Paul Walker has the same expression on his face the entire film, even in scenes were he should be serious. By the end, it would have been a blessing if Justin Lin decided to cut all of Walker’s lines so we wouldn’t have to hear him try to act. Vin Diesel who is generally tolerable in some roles (Saving Private Ryan and even the first Riddick) seems to have had his emotion chip removed. Almost every line is given with no emotion or passion. That’s what made guys like Stallone and Arnold work wherein they actually had some form of passion. Diesel feels like he has the script in the passenger’s seat and delivers every line deadpan. Jordana Brewster is nice to look at but otherwise devoid of anything close to acting and Michelle Rodriguez is the only one who has any personality. The only one of the cast who is remotely enjoyable is John Ortiz. He was one of the best things about Michael Mann’s underrated Miami Vice and here he is the best thing about this film. He’s charming and slick which is what the character requires and Ortiz is perfect for the job. The good news is the film keeps him in pretty healthy supply.

At the end of the road, it’s not going to matter what I say about this movie. As a critic friend of mine put it, ‘you either like the Fast and the Furious movies or you don’t,’ and he’s right. I fall into those who don’t but can admit the trailer for Fast and Furious intrigued me enough to where I’d give this one a chance. I went in with the lowest expectations possible and it delivered. Those who like the series will find plenty to love here as this is just more of the same, but for those who don’t find the appeal in these films will want to steer clear.

Rating: ★½☆☆☆ 

No doubt one of the hardest things for a man to do is come back from a weeks vacation to over 500 emails at work. And want to read them all. While I have to do this, I thought I would get in some real work first, here at Atomic Popcorn.
Below is an update on the goings on of the Hollywood arena.

The latest revamp of the love affair in Titanic between DiCaprio and Winslet, is now called Revolutionary Road. What more would you want than to watch something you have seen before. A budding relationship in the mid 50′s between folks you know have chemistry on screen. I will pass on this one. Maybe a Netflix.

Eva Longoria, is no longer a prime time goddess? Rather she is ending up on the big screen as a comic book character? I don’t even think she has the skill for this movie. The boys over at /Film are trying to say Longoria is trying to become the next Avenger. Will this movie actually get off the ground, just because its a Marvel product?

There is no Doubt in my mind that just because you put two great actors of our time together it will make a solid movie. The trailer for Doubt is out and looks terrible. Streep and Hoffman are extremley talented in their own right, but this looks like a kid made it!

Four Christmases, staring Vince Vaughn and the ever glowing Reese Witherspoon, has a new trailer out. Enjoy it below.

One of the best films of 08, Kung Fu Panda, has a sequel already and its coming to DVD? What the heck is going on here and why didn’t Paramount call me about this! Damnit!

It seems that everyone loves a good XXX and that is what Vin Diesel is wanting to give to the fans. A new movie is in the works staring the correct person for the role. Sorry Ice Tea, err Ice Cube or whatever drink you are.

A little late but its better than nothing right? Some Vin Diesel for you all to feast your eyes on. I am actually looking forward to this film.

Photos below:

TV Spots below:

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International Trailer below:

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IGN has the first look at Vin Diesel’s new movie, Babylon A.D. Babylon AD trailer

Opening August 29, the Mathieu Kassovitz-directed sci-fi action-thriller co-stars Gérard Depardieu, Michelle Yeoh, Charlotte Rampling, Mark Strong, Radek Bruna, Melanie Thierry and Lambert Wilson.

In the film, a veteran-turned-mercenary (Vin Diesel) agrees to escort a woman from Russia to Germany, not realizing that she’s the host for an organism that a cult wants to harvest into a genetically-modified Messiah.