Vin Diesel Is Finally Returning To The Sci-Fi Franchise That Made His Name

After years of promises that it would happen, the fourth "Riddick" movie is, indeed, finally happening. Vin Diesel is set to return as the titular character in a new installment of the franchise titled "Riddick: Furya," with David Twohy again serving as director. For the fourth time since the turn of the millennium, Diesel will be playing in the sandbox that helped make him a movie star in the first place.

According to a press release, "Furya" will begin production on August 26, 2024, with filming set to take place in Germany, Spain, and the U.K. This brings the project full circle, as Diesel and Twohy have been trying to make it for some time. In 2019, the "Fast & Furious" star shared on Instagram that the script for "Riddick 4" was complete. It's taken nearly five years to get all of the ducks in a row but the duo has managed to will this one into existence. The synopsis for the fourth installment reads as follows:

In "Riddick: Furya," Riddick finally returns to his homeworld, a place he barely remembers and one he fears might be left in ruins. But there he finds other Furyans fighting for their existence against a new monster. And some of these Furyans are more like Riddick than he could have ever imagined.

There is no word yet on who is due to star alongside Diesel. The actor will additionally produce the film alongside Samantha Vincent, Thorsten Schumacher, Lars Sylvest, and Joe Neurauter. It's unclear if any cast members from the previous "Riddick" films will be involved. To date, the franchise encompasses 2000's "Pitch Black," 2004's "The Chronicles of Riddick," and 2013's "Riddick." All three films were directed by Twohy.

"Pitch Black" was the movie that made Vin Diesel a leading man in Hollywood. /Film readers even ranked Richard B. Riddick as his best role to date, which is surprising given that he has Groot in "Guardians of the Galaxy" and Dom in "Fast & Furious" to his name as well. Diesel, for his part, has made the franchise a passion project, essentially willing 2013's "Riddick" into existence by negotiating the rights as part of his deal to return in a cameo as Dom for "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift," which dovetailed into his larger return to the franchise.

"Riddick" became a hit, taking in $98.3 million worldwide against a $38 million budget. That, in turn, allowed Diesel and Twohy to keep hope alive for a fourth film for more than a decade. Whether or not Universal Pictures once again partners with them to distribute the new film remains to be seen but rights have already been sold in various international markets around the world.

Casting a shadow over the production is the fact that Diesel was accused of sexual battery in December 2023. The alleged incident took place during the production of "Fast Five." Diesel, for his part, denied the allegations against him back in March. Since this movie is now moving forward, it leaves questions lingering about the allegations. Were they settled out of court? Have the financiers looked into them and made a determination independently? Either way, the situation hasn't prevented Diesel from pressing forward with his various in-the-works projects. But it is certainly worth keeping an eye on this as this film, not to mention "Fast & Furious 11," continues to press forward.

"Riddick: Furya" does not currently have a release date.