Summary

• Riddick: Furya will be the return of Vin Diesel's long-running franchise after 11 years.
• Vin Diesel needs a new franchise since the Fast & Furious series is ending.
• The Riddick installment explores Furya, Riddick's home planet.

Vin Diesel's first franchise, The Chronicles of Riddick, will return after 11 years with The Chronicles of Riddick films have been the longest-running franchise of Diesel's career. With the Fast & Furious movies coming to an end, the Riddick franchise will serve as a great replacement, allowing Diesel to show off his action skills while also expanding on the lore of his iconic anti-hero Richard Riddick.

The Chronicles of Riddick began in 2000 with the release of Pitch Black, a sci-fi thriller that follows a group of survivors who crash-land on a dangerous planet about to experience a complete solar eclipse. One of the survivors is Richard Riddick, a convict with surgically enhanced eyes that allow him to see in the dark, which makes him a valuable asset to the group of survivors. The subsequent films continue Riddick's story across the galaxy as he gets involved in conflicts between extraterrestrial groups and discovers more about his own people, the Furyans.

Vin Diesel Needs Riddick Since Fast & Furious Is Ending

Fast X: Part Two Will Be The Last Fast & Furious Film

The Fast & Furious franchise has been the greatest achievement of Diesel's career. In 2001, Diesel made his first appearance as Dominic Toretto in The Fast and the Furious, which launched him into stardom. Since the release of the first movie, the franchise has become an international box office success, expanding into ten films, a spin-off, an animated series, and more. However, the last few movies have received mixed reviews from critics and lower box office numbers, while also sparking rumors of behind-the-scenes drama. It was announced that Fast 11 will be the final chapter of the franchise.

Diesel agreed to make a cameo appearance in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift in exchange for the rights to the Riddick films.

This announcement makes the news about Riddick: Furya even more exciting. Diesel needs a replacement for the Fast & Furious saga, and the epic, action-packed Riddick movies could be a worthy fill-in. Although the two franchises may seem different on the surface, fans of Fast & Furious can still find a lot to love in the Riddick films. Similarly to Dominic Toretto, the character of Riddick has a criminal past but becomes a loveable anti-hero over the course of the series. The Riddick films also have great action sequences that rival the Fast & Furious franchise.

Vin Diesel's Failed To Start Other Franchises Since He Last Made Riddick

Despite Starring In Multiple Franchises, Only A Few Have Succeeded

Since the last Riddick film in 2013, Diesel has been attached to several other franchises. He continued the xXx series with 2017's xXx: Return of Xander Cage, although the film was poorly reviewed and holds a 45% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Diesel also attempted to launch a new franchise with 2020's Bloodshot, based on the popular comic series. However, that film was also a critical flop and currently has a Rotten Tomatoes score of only 31%. Recently, it was announced that Diesel will be starring in a Kojak remake, which marks another attempt at relaunching a successful franchise.

Diesel's most successful roles have been in the Fast & Furious franchise and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where he portrays Groot. Since his first appearance as Groot in the 2014 Guardians of the Galaxy film, Diesel has reprised the role in six additional Marvel movies and a television spin-off. However, Groot is a much smaller role compared to Diesel's other notable performances, and with Marvel entering a new phase, he cannot solely rely on the MCU to sustain his career. Riddick represents his best chance at continuing a franchise and building a continuing cinematic universe.

What's Known About Riddick 4

The Fourth Installment Begins Filming Soon

The fourth installment in the Riddick series will be titled Riddick: Furya, a reference to Riddick's home planet. The film will follow Riddick as he returns to Furya, a place he believed to have lost, and reunites with his fellow Furyans. However, during his visit, Riddick learns that his people are facing a new threat in the form of a monstrous creature. To protect their planet and save their lives, Riddick must team up with the Furyans to fight against the dangerous monster. The movie promises to expand on Riddick's backstory, continuing lore set up in 2000's Pitch Black.

The film is still in the pre-production stage, so Diesel is the only cast member to be announced so far. Riddick: Furya is set to begin filming in August across , Spain, and the United Kingdom, making it likely that more updates are going to be released soon. Diesel is attached to multiple projects right now, including Fast X: Part 2, so it's unclear how quickly production will be able to move. However, given how committed Diesel has been to the Riddick franchise, it can be assumed that Riddick: Furya is a priority for him.

The Riddick franchise is currently available to stream on Peacock.