Welcome back to the Xander Zone, baby! After over a decade away from the silver screen, the badass and reluctant secret agent Xander Cage (Vin Diesel) will finally return to the xXx franchise in the aptly titled xXx: The Return of Xander Cage. The first official images from the third xXx have finally hit the web, and if nothing else they show that the franchise has returned to wholeheartedly embrace the absurd and extreme. Check them out below.
First day on the sound stage...Xander...Posted by Vin Diesel on Saturday, January 30, 2016
Released on Vin Diesel’s personal Facebook page, the photo showcases the film’s hero Xander Cage (Diesel) going through a normal day’s work. More specifically, the photo shows Cage straddling a motocross bike with a half naked woman on the front, against the backdrop of a green screen. We have no idea what sort of background will be projected against the screen, but it can’t be any more absurd than what is in front of it. During the events of the first film, Cage makes a statement that he likes anything fast enough to do something stupid with, so it looks like this film will find him right at home.
In all honesty the photo looks like someone distilled the thought process of a 14-year-old boy and created a picture out of it – and we are so happy about that. The xXx franchise has always been willing to embrace the absurdities of the action genre – not unlike Diesel’s other major franchise: The Fast and the Furious – which has allowed it to get away with such unbelievable stunts and corny storylines. At its core, the series endeavors to satirize tropes present in the modern action genre, so some of the more outrageous aspects of the film can be forgiven.
Diesel also released another photo showcasing a behind the scenes moment for the film – presumably between takes. Check it out below:
The Director, producers and myself sitting in wonder as we take in the artistry of the many craftsmen that have built...Posted by Vin Diesel on Saturday, January 30, 2016
The photo, also released on the actor’s Facebook, appears to show that part of the film will take place amid stone ruins of some sort in a tropical paradise. The original xXx took place in Prague, and the sequel moved the proceedings to the American heartland, so it seems that the film will mix things up by taking Xander Cage and the rest of his team to a locale audiences have not yet seen for this particular franchise. On the other hand, last time we saw Cage he was living it up in Bora Bora, so perhaps this is where the film will pick up its story.
I don’t know about you, but my inner teenager is absolutely excited for xXx: The Return of Xander Cage. The film will almost certainly embrace absurd, bombastic action, and provide a sense of relief from the overly serious tones that so many action movies tend to gravitate towards these days. xXx 3 is slated to hit theaters sometime in 2017.
