Vin Diesel isn't content to be the lead in just one action franchise which is why we're getting a third chapter in the xXx series. Filming wrapped on The Return of Xander Cage earlier this year, with the action star supreme showing off some of the film's physics-defying craziness in that batshit teaser trailer. Seriously, it looks nuts. Things are starting to come together in the edit suite for the finished product, too, as Diesel says the rough cut he's seen left him "speechless."
Diesel, ever the social media butterfly, broadcast some of his early thoughts on that first edit via a live feed to his huge army of Facebook fans. "I was speechless after watching the movie," he says, "I felt like it's been a long time coming. The spirit of individuality that plays in the movie is kind of refreshing and kind of timely… I mean the cast is sensational. You could see why they were all having so much fun, and why we had so much fun making the movie."
Interestingly, his one criticism about the movie isn't what you'd expect: "I don’t want to say anything negative, but I have to be honest. If there was one complaint I had about xXx the first cut, it’s too short. I wanted more… When people have been waiting fifteen years for this franchise to return, you can’t just give them an hour and a half. It’s not fair because you just want more.” Really? I think shorter running times could really benefit modern blockbusters, to keep them punchier.
Brevity is also what studios prefer from a financial standpoint - cinemas make more money with shorter films because they can fit in more screenings. I doubt Diesel's pushing for a three-hour xXx, but if the movie already left him speechless, it seems a shame to pad it out for the sake of it. What do you think?
Directed by D.J. Caruso and starring Vin Diesel, Samuel L. Jackson, Nina Dobrev, Kris Wu, Ruby Rose, and Donnie Yen, xXx: The Return of Xander Cage will open in the UK and US on January 20, 2017.
Images: Paramount
