Alright, let's face this right now: Chronicles of Riddick 2 is not happening. I want it to happen, I'm one of the few people that really liked the first one, ComingSoon.net is even running a new story that says it is going to happen. But I'm here to tell you, it's not going to happen.
In an interview with CS, Vin Diesel, the man who would return to Riddick said: "…it's coming." Really Vin? "I wrote a storyline, essentially, that covered three pictures, so where Riddick goes in the next two pictures is already mapped out. It's not in script form, but it is being all developed, and it is going to surface when you least expect it."
We already knew Vin had a storyline mapped out, the problem is Universal knows as well as anyone that it's a dead property. The first one was a flop and subsequent movies will likely only flop harder. There had been a rumor that Vin was trying to buy the rights from Universal so he could get the movie made himself, but he says that's not true. "Who told you that? I'll kill 'em! Where is he,?" No need for death threats! It's just a rumor man. "Let's just say it sounds like a very interesting idea. [laughs] I will give it thought. I won't tell anyone... I won't credit you unless you want to be credited."
Basically, what Vin is saying here is that even though he assured you it's coming, it is by no means a sure thing. He's admitting Universal doesn't want to make any more of them, and that he'll have to buy the rights from them to get a sequel made. Vin may have every intention of doing so, but I can't imagine him actually buying the rights and then finding the funding necessary to make a big budget science fiction like that. Particularly in this climate of theoretically responsible Hollywood financing. And though he's had some success making duck movies. there's no way Vin could fund something like this on his own.
Look, stranger things have happened. For instance Hellboy 2 is supposedly in production (thought I'll believe it when I see the first trailer). It's not impossible but it'll take a lot more than a vague "it's coming" statement from an overly hopeful Vin before I'll believe in it. It's kind of like believing in the tooth fairy… only with more Underverse.
