Coming Attractions has the skinny not only on the name of the new Chronicles of Riddick film – which is Dead Man Stalking – but a review of David Twohy’s script as well. First off, count me as one of the ones who’s been waiting for this. Pitch Black ruled and Chronicles was overblown yet watchable lunacy. DMS is said to get back to the heart of the themes introduced in Pitch Black, namely that Riddick has gotten too civilized, that he needs to cut ties, and become the predatory badass he once was if he hopes to survive. We also get a return of some undesirably carnivorous alien baddies: “…when we see Riddick at the beginning of Dead Man Stalking he’s a bloody battered mess, crawling for his life
on the baked floor of an alien world. The predators native to this
planet are circling in and waiting for death to come so they can feed
at Riddick’s corpse — but he won’t let them. Riddick realizes here
that he’s got to let what happened to him in Pitch Black and Chronicles go if he’s to survive the next ten seconds, let alone get off this forsaken pit of hell.”
The article also gives the lowdown on Riddick, post-Lord Marshal-ing his way to head of the Necromonger army. Apparently, he isn’t keen on taking over the role, which leads to assassins coming at him at every turn. So a deal is struck with Vaako (which means that Karl Urban may be making a return. I hope to hell Nick Chinlund does as well) to hand over the big chair, in exchange for a trip to Riddick’s home planet of Furya. The events of Chronicles are referenced and reportedly wrapped up very quickly to get the story for Dead Man Stalking hitting the ground running (or crawling as the case may be).
There are plenty more details in the review, but what it mostly boils down to is that this is: at heart, it’s a return to Pitch Black. Scaled down, more visceral, more death, badder mercs, and best yet: Rated R goodness. Riddick is Diesel’s best character by far, and with the talent of David Twohy behind him, the possibilities for the character are as varied as the worlds in which he visits. I’m really looking forward to the possible return to prominence of this franchise. You can click over to Coming Attractions for the whole rundown.
Thanks to Brian for the tip.