Is a third Riddick Film Happening?

I was first "introduced" to Vin Diesel in 2001's The Fast and The Furious. While he isn't a bad actor, I wasn't blown away by his performance. There was something about him though, something about that gravelly voice and bald, round head that was familiar. It wasn't long before I realized that this was the same actor who portrayed the intimidating, interesting, and scene-stealing criminal Richard B. Riddick in the science fiction horror Pitch Black only a year prior. Now that's a character. And with Keith David in the supporting cast, Pitch Black is almost too intense of a film.

2004 saw the release of The Chronicles of Riddick, a spinoff of Pitch Black featuring everyone's favorite mass murderer. David Twohy, director of Pitch Black, returned to helm this sequel. The film wasn't treated very kindly by critics and received a 29% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It also failed at the domestic box office, but its worldwide take came in around $115 million, just under its budget of $120 million.

Despite not being a smash hit, plans to make a third Riddick film creep ever closer to fruition thanks to Diesel and Twohy's love for the character. Late last year, Diesel commented that the film was still in development. Last week Diesel was quoted as saying that, despite having to take a pay cut, the film might get made this summer. And now David Twohy has released a rather general, encouraging statement that includes rhetoric like "hurdles seem to be dropping," "final turn is being rounded," and "we've reached a critical mass of enthusiasm and resource needed to launch a movie."

By all means, Mr. Twohy, launch that movie.