Universal Pictures and Vin Diesel's One Race Films officially announced that principal photography has begun on the 3rd film in the Riddick franchise, with shooting taking place in Montreal.

So what's this one going to be about?

Diesel reprises his role as the antihero Riddick, a dangerous, escaped convict wanted by every bounty hunter in the known galaxy. The infamous Riddick has been left for dead on a sun-scorched planet that appears to be lifeless. Soon, however, he finds himself fighting for survival against alien predators more lethal than any human he's encountered. The only way off is for Riddick to activate an emergency beacon and alert mercenaries who rapidly descend to the planet in search of their bounty. The first ship to arrive carries a new breed of merc, more lethal and violent, while the second is captained by a man whose pursuit of Riddick is more personal. With time running out and a storm on the horizon that no one could survive, his hunters won't leave the planet without Riddick's head as their trophy.

No point in going to see the movie then, right? It's all there 🙂

Not sure what it's going to be titled yet; although I recall about a year and a half ago, Chronicles Of Riddick: Dead Man Stalking was the name being tossed around. I think that's what the script was called at the time. Hope it doesn't stick though; I don't like it.

As for the cast of this 3rd installment… Karl Urban returns in his role as Vaako; and of special note, Bokeem Woodbine and R&B singer Keri Hilson will co-star. Woodbine will play a bounty hunter named Moss; no word on Hilson's role.

Dave Bautista (The Scorpion King 3), Conrad Pla (Immortals) Raoul Trujillo (Apocalypto), Jordi Molla (Colombiana), Matt Nable (Killer Elite) and Katee Sackhoff (TV's Battlestar Galactica) round out the cast.

David Twohy who wrote and directed the first 2 Riddick films will direct this as well.

I thought the first film in the series, Pitch Black, was actually cool. The second however was a bit of bloated mess IMHO.

Their individual budgets contribute to the tale: Pitch Black was made for $23 million; the second was budgeted at $105 million! Some times, a larger budget (in this case a significantly larger budget) is exactly just that, and does not a better movie make.

Not sure what the budget for #3 is.

The film will be released by Universal Pictures likely next year.