According to The Hollywood Reporter, Universal will be putting Riddick – the third movie in the sci-fi franchise – in theaters on September 6, 2013, ending what will be a 9-year drought without Vin Diesel and his eyesight issues. Not only will the star be returning, writer/director David Twohy is also on board, meaning (at the very least) a sense of stylistic consistency. Unsurprisingly, the new feature has a lower budget and will involve less blockbuster-style action. This is pretty damned cool. Pitch Black was a lot of fun, Chronicles of Riddick was solid, and Diesel excels as this kind of survivalist action hero. The September slot doesn’t reveal a ton of confidence (which seems naturally after a poor tentpole showing and nine years), but this thing doesn’t have to change the world. It could be a bright spot in an otherwise dull wait until Awards Season 2013. Here’s the official synopsis:

In a stunning development that has me thinking Vin Diesel would be the perfect choice for a For Love or Money remake, the actor has taken to his Facebook page to present his fans with a conundrum he’s facing when trying to get another Pitch Black sequel off the ground. I’ll let him tell it in his own words: “D T the writer/director just landed in New York with the good news. We can start filming this summer. However, there is a catch… in order for us to make a true R rated film, I must work for scale upfront. Not unlike the Find Me Guilty experience (which I wouldn’t have changed for the world).” I have to assume that the D T he is speaking of is Pitch Black and The Chronicles of Riddick director David Twohy, and it sounds like the rest of the post is Diesel saying he wouldn’t want to do another Riddick sequel unless it was R-rated, and he’s willing to take a pay cut to make that happen. Alright Vinnie! I fully support any movement to get action films planted firmly back into R-rated territory. But wait, that’s not all. A probable pay cut isn’t the only hurdle that might be in front of another Riddick movie happening. Diesel goes on to say, “Money is always second to art, integrity and spirit… but the real issue is deeper. Can I suspend my life, to momentarily venture to that dark place… called Riddick.” What’s this? Has

Welcome back to Junkfood Cinema: stop touching yourself. Our fearless leader, Brian Salisbury, is taking the week off, so I’ll be your guide through the fat and cholesterol laden cinematic jungle. And I assure you Mr. Salisbury’s absence had nothing to do with that blinding chest pain … he’s probably still alive. Every week our intrepid host takes you, dear reader, on a perilous journey through a particular film, mocking it like a redheaded stepchild and then pointing out all the reasons it’s cool anyway. To put the bacon on the cupcake (what, you don’t put bacon on your cupcakes?) he’ll finish things off by choosing a delicious, health-defying concoction for you to stuff in your wet mouth. Like Lord Salisbury, I also revel in all the fried and battered goodness that movie history has to offer us and I’m steering this ship in one direction: up! Like the Friday the 13th and Leprechaun films of yore, Junkfood Cinema is blasting right past the shark and into the final frontier of outer space. That’s right, kids. This week’s target is none other than Vin Diesel Growls in Space with Glowing Eyes aka Pitch Black.

Once again we’re playing catchup with The Blu-ray Report, but unlike previous week’s I am happy to go back and take a look at 8 new Blu-ray releases — some from this week and some from last week — that are currently all rocking my world to some extent.

David Twohy, director of The Chronicles of Riddick and Pitch Black, posted on his official website that Riddick, the villain turned hero with the silver eyes, may be returning to the big screen.