There was much sniggering around these parts yesterday when I reported that Vin Diesel claimed scouting was underway for a new Chronicles of Riddick movie. While some – those without discernment or taste, the folks who will watch any old shit shown on a TV screen – defended The Chronicles of Riddick, most folks realize that not only was the movie a domestic disaster (taking in half its budget at theaters), it was an artistic failure. But Diesel has been talking up a new film for years, and sources tell me he may be getting what he wants.
Riddick barely scratched its way to breaking even (if you don’t count prints and advertising) through a healthy foreign take, and that’s from where the impetus for a Riddick 3 is coming. Apparently Diesel and friends have secured foreign financing for the movie, but that deal is contingent upon Riddick 3 getting US money and distribution. The movie’s been getting shopped around for the last week, but so far – not takers.
I’m surprised we don’t see this more often with franchises on the verge. For example, The Golden Compass was a disaster in the US but raked in the cash overseas – you would think someone would be stepping up to the plate to buy the foreign rights for The Subtle Knife, the next film in the His Dark Materials series.
At any rate, the possibility of Riddick 3 is more real than I ever imagined.