One big name entering the world of television production is none other than Fast and Furious star, Vin Diesel. On Wednesday, Universal TV announced the action star had signed a deal with them which gives NBC top bidding priority on any television project Diesel and his company, One Race, develop. This is a multi-year deal, and the first item on the agenda is a companion TV series to Diesel’s Riddick franchise.
The first feature in the Riddick franchise was Pitch Black, released in 2000. Diesel plays Riddick, a criminal, who is the only hope for the crew of a transport ship wrecked on an alien planet with human-eating aliens that only come out during the impending month-long eclipse. The Chronicles of Riddick premiered in 2004 and continues the story 5 years after the events of Pitch Black. This time Riddick’s enemies are the Necromangers who want to convert all humans in the universe. And if anyone refuses to convert, they are killed. Riddick came out in 2013, and once again Riddick must fight for his life while facing unexpected demons from his past.
Not many details have been released concerning the Riddick TV series, but this will be Vin Diesel’s first time producing for television. According to Deadline, Shana C. Waterman will serve as Head of Television and will be in charge of the development and production of Universal TV’s new deal with One Race. Waterman has been responsible for producing 24: Live Another Day and Wayward Pines.
In 1995, Diesel founded the One Race Global Film Foundation, a non-profit organization that helps give a voice to underprivileged communities in the entertainment industry. One Race has been responsible for producing the highest grossing Fast and Furious Films, the Riddick franchise, and xXx and the its sequel, xXx: Return of Xander Cage, which is still in pre-production.
In case you are not familiar with the Riddick franchise, you can find The Chronicles of Riddick, the second of the three films, on Netflix. Fair warning: if you start at the beginning with Pitch Black, I highly recommend leaving the lights on.