Vin Diesel has officially announced that he is reprising his role as extreme sports athlete-turned-spy Xander Cage for the third installment of the xXx series. He also announced when and where filming will commence.
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The Furious 7 and Riddick star made the announcement via his official Instagram account. “While I was filming XXX, guys on set called me Air Diesel… The time to return has come,” he wrote. “Filming starts December in the Philippines.”
The original 2002 action film, co-starring Asia Argento and Samuel L. Jackson, grossed $277M at the worldwide box office against a $70M budget. Diesel was signed on to make a sequel, but working on The Pacifier prevented his return. When filming for 2005’s xXx: State of the Union began, Ice Cube had replaced Diesel in the lead role, playing Darius Stone. It bombed at the box office, only grossing $71M globally, well below its $131M price tag.
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From Revolution Studios and and Sony Pictures, Xander Cage (Vin Diesel) is a notorious underground thrill-seeker who, until now, has been deemed untouchable by the law. But when crack NSA Agent Gibbons convinces Cage to infiltrate a ruthless Russian crime ring, this new breed of secret agent (code name: XXX) takes down the enemies of justice with a vengeance in this high-octane, turbo-charged thrill-ride from the acclaimed director of The Fast and the Furious.
