Back in 2000, David Twohy made a small film called Pitch Black. It was not at the top of anyone’s radar but it slowly became a sleeper-hit. The main following stemmed from the film’s protagonist character, Richard B. Riddick (played by Vin Diesel). His anti-hero antics caught everyone’s attention due his sharp dialogue and mysterious past. I totally dug the character because he was a stone cold convict with “eye-shine”,the ability to see in the dark. The Riddick character walked a fine line between saving his own skin and protecting those who couldn’t protect themselves.
Universal made a sequel in 2004, The Chronicles of Riddick, which divided many critics. Some people thought the film was just trying too hard to become the next big sci-fi franchise, but mostly people just didn’t like the overall substance of the Vin Diesel produced sequel. Diesel has totally immersed himself in the Riddick character and storyline, he’s produced an animated prequel film and two video games in the process, but there was no news about another film until recently.
