Summary

  • Vin Diesel is returning to sci-fi with Riddick 4, but after Bloodshot's flop, it's a risky move for the actor and the franchise.
  • Despite struggling to find big box office success, Vin Diesel remains committed to The Chronicles of Riddick franchise.
  • While Riddick 4 could potentially capitalize on the sci-fi hype, it's uncertain how audiences will respond to the long-awaited installment.

voicing Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy. However, his live-action roles in sci-fi movies have always been hit or miss, and Vin Diesel's next film isn't a guaranteed hit after this very recent sci-fi miss.

Although Vin Diesel has been in several more popular franchises, it has always been clear that one of his biggest ions is The Chronicles of Riddick franchise. Despite them never being massive successes, Vin Diesel has continuously poured a lot into the movie series, with him starring in each film in the trilogy so far. While Vin Diesel has attempted to make successes out of other up-and-coming franchises, he has never left The Chronicles of Riddick behind, with him always returning to the franchise after years of it being on ice.

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Riddick 4 Is Vin Diesel's Return To Sci-Fi After Bloodshot's $37 Million Failure

Could Riddick: Furya Meet The Same Fate?

Although 2013's Riddick, the latest film in The Chronicles of Riddick franchise, was released over a decade ago, Vin Diesel will be making his return to live-action sci-fi with Riddick 4. The film Riddick: Furya was officially announced in February 2023, with the project finally coming to fruition after years of another Riddick sequel being talked about by Vin Diesel and other creatives involved with the franchise. This is undoubtedly exciting news for fans of The Chronicles of Riddick, but a major red flag has been raised by Vin Diesel's big sci-fi failure: Bloodshot.

2020's Bloodshot saw Vin Diesel take on the role of the Valiant Comics superhero, with the actor playing an enhanced super soldier who attempts to get revenge on the people who killed his family. Although Bloodshot isn't as big as some other superhero franchises, Sony seemingly had high hopes for it, with it having a budget of $45 million. Despite this, Bloodshot only made $37.3 million, meaning that the film was a massive flop. Bloodshot also received mixed critical reviews, meaning that it was unfortunately not a commercial or critical hit.

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Bloodshot's Box Office Makes Riddick 4 A Bigger Risk For Vin Diesel

It Proves That His Movies Aren't Guaranteed Hits

Bloodshot could be a bad sign for Riddick: Furya, as it proves that Vin Diesel is not a guaranteed box office success. Vin Diesel is still a movie star, but audiences have mostly only ed him in The Fast and the Furious and the Guardians of the Galaxy franchises, and even in the latter series he isn't one of the biggest draws. Riddick: Furya will almost certainly be fully reliant on Vin Diesel to sell the film, and since Bloodshot proved that this strategy doesn't always work, the next The Chronicles of Riddick movie is in a scary situation.

This is made even worse by the fact that it has been 10 years since a The Chronicles of Riddick movie was released, and even then the franchise wasn't that big of a box office hit. 2000's Pitch Black made $53.2 million on a budget of $23 million, The Chronicles of Riddick made $115.8 million on a budget of $120 million, and Riddick made $93.8 million on a budget of $38 million. So, while some of the films have made their money back, none of them have been huge hits, and there is no reason to believe that Riddick: Furya will change things.

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Why Riddick 4 Could Still Be A Hit For Vin Diesel

The Movie Could Defy Expectations

Although the film is a big risk, the fourth The Chronicles of Riddick movie could still be a big hit for Vin Diesel. Two of the three Riddick movies have been successful, and if Riddick: Furya keeps a low enough budget, it could find a similar level of success.

On top of that, the massive box-office success of the Dune movies proves that audiences are hungry for grand sci-fi epics, and the Riddick franchise can definitely capitalize on this hype. While it would require a lot of new fans getting on board four movies into the franchise, the decade-long break could mean that Riddick: Furya acts as more of a revival film, finding a new audience. Vin Diesel's next Riddick movie is still a while away, but it will be exciting to see how it does after the actor's previous sci-fi performances.

Riddick 4: Furya
Director
David Twohy
Writers
Jim Wheat, David Twohy, Ken Wheat

Riddick 4: Furya is the fourth big-screen installment in the Chronicles of Riddick franchise. Vin Diesel returns as the titular hero, introduced in 2000 movie Pitch Black, alongside the original movie's director, David Twohy. The film takes Richard B. Riddick back to his home planet after multiple fights with the Necromongers.