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."

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Vin Diesel Bails on 'xXx' Threequel?

Updated on Friday, October 16, 2009 at 4:14PM by Get The Big Picture

Here's some news that's sure to elicit very little objection: Vin Diesel may have dropped out of xXx 3. The film, oddly enough, is subtitled The Return of Xander Cage, so if there's no Diesel, how on Earth would that work?

CineFools says it has learned "from a trusted source" that Vin walked out on the project, but there was no information beyond that. It's also not something that has been independently confirmed, so tread lightly with this one. Still, who wants a third xXx movie? The first one was OK; it had a few fun moments. The sequel with Ice Cube was among that year's absolute worst movies, plus who could ever buy the former O'Shea Jackson in that role?

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Rob Cohen Goes 'Medieval' on 'xXx' Threequel

Empire reports that Rob Cohen, the director of the first xXx movie and the completely asinine Stealth, has bowed out of the third chapter in the xXx series to make Medieval instead.

Before you automatically assume it's because xXx: The Return of Xander Cage is garbage (which was what I thought when I read it), you should know that Cohen studied anthropology from Harvard...which might explain why he's not a great filmmaker, I guess. Be that as it may, when the opportunity came to make a movie that deals with European history, Cohen jumped at the chance. Just thank whatever you pray to that he beat Stephen Sommers to it.

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Writer Talks Up That 'xXx' Threequel We Don't Want

It wouldn't be near the top of the list of the worst sequels ever, but xXx: State of the Union was certainly bad. Pointless, erratic, loud, and unforgivably stupid, it signaled the end of the xXx franchise, which started with a big box office bang. That is, it was the end of the franchise until now.

Afew months ago, a new xXx movie was announced, with Vin Diesel attached to star. I do find it humorous that Diesel had three potential franchises on his hands on chose to focus on the Riddick movies. Now he's back with all three. Collider talked screenwriter Michael Ferris about xXx: The Return of Xander Cage, who brought up Rob Cohen's name without a hint of embarrassment:

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xXx III

People think it's all fun and games, rolling out movies like Fast and Furious next summer, because what could really be the harm in two desperate actors like Vin Diesel and Paul Walker trying to cash in on a franchise one last time? OK, well-ground people probably don't call those guys "actors," but that's not the point. Here's the point: Movies like that lead to movies like another xXx. Rob Cohen, who would be in the round-robin tournament for worst directors alive still scoring a blockbuster every year, recently told Omelete (via Collider) that there will definitely be another xXx flick. "Yes, [Columbia is] doing it with me and producer Joe Roth," confirmed Cohen, giving nobody confidence by mentioning Roth's wildly inconsistent metal detector. "We made the deal recently, it's named xXx: The Return of Xander Cage. We met the writers yesterday and we're trying to get into production by late spring, to have it out for the summer of 2010." You see how all this happened, right? The first xXx was like an adrenalized Bond movie, and for that, it should get some credit. But the second movie was pitiful. All known prints of xXx: State of the Union should be burned. I'll volunteer to start the bonfire. And then the Bourne movies upped the ante on what spy movie action should look like, which led to better James Bond movies. Now xXx wants back in, or should we say, Diesel wants back in. Too little, too late? Maybe. But I said that about the most recent Indiana Jones movie and it did great business. That's all this is about, after all, so just know that if you watch Fast and the Furious thinking nobody could get hurt, please consider the consequences of your actions.