Rob Cohen Back in to Direct 3-D 'xXx' Threequel

The third xXx movie - which, just for fun, I'd like them to title xXxxXxxXx - is back on track, but not at Sony. Deadline says that studio has passed and when Paramount picked up the property, director Rob Cohen was suddenly re-interested. Yep, he had dropped out, even though Vin Diesel was attached, but with Paramount in the mix, Cohen sees new hope for the threequel. "I left the project because I had a very strong instinct it would never get made at Sony, that it wasn't picking up the critical mass and traction that a movie needs," said Cohen. "For whatever reason, Paramount sees the future of this, and we're in a very positive place at a new home where there is genuine enthusiasm." One new twist, as if it needed another one, is that Parmount will make xXxxXxxXx in 3-D. And it won't be the Clash of the Titans-y upconversion, either. This is full-on, legit 3-D. I don't trust Rob Cohen to make a good film on any level, but I guess this underscores the commitment Paramount has to the project. Sam Jackson is also coming back as Xander's government handler, meaning they, you know, offered him money. "With the new 3D instrument and the techniques I can apply," Cohen insists, "we can create a different kind of cutting-edge experience in 3D by shooting it that way from the beginning the way James Cameron did Avatar." The studio is fast-tracking it, too, and it will go into production after Vin wraps the 5ast and 5urious or whatever it's called. There's no concrete release date, but probably late 2011.