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Ericson Core ("Invincible") has signed to direct "xXx: The Return of Xander Cage". This will make it the 3rd film in the xXx franchise, which should have never been a franchise.  Vin Diesel is also already signed on to star.  This means that Diesel will be returning to another franchise which helped him become the big action star that he was for those 5 or 10 minutes a couple of years ago after starring in this years surprise hit (sigh) "Fast & Furious".  To find out some more details and what Xander Cage will be up to in this adventure, hit the jump.

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The original 2002 film was about a thrill seeking extreme sports enthusiast, stuntman, anarachist turned reluctant spy for the government who is sent on a dangerous mission to infiltrate a group of potential terrorists in Eastern Europe. You really can't make this stuff up even if you tried. The film was directed by Rob Cohen ("Stealth") and went on to gross $277 millon.  Hollywood decided to make a sequel starring Ice Cube instead of Vin Diesel three years later entitled "xXx: State of the Union" .  That film turned out to be a financial disappointment after it only grossed $71 million.

THR tells us that the new film involves Cage's return to the National Security Agency after an eight-year absence.  The screenplay has been written by the writing team of John Brancato and Michael Ferris ("Terminator Salvation") and recently got a polish from Richard Wilkes, who wrote the original film.

I don't know who I'm more let down by after reading this news - Hollywood or Vin Diesel. The original film is the definition of a stupid (and not in a fun way), cliche, and forgettable action film.  I can see why Hollywood would try to milk it for all it's worth after its huge gross, but, come on.

I haven't seen Ericson Core's previous film, "Invincible", but I guess he's the right choice for the project since he was the cinematographer on Diesel's 2001 flick "The Fast and the Furious". He's also attached to direct the coming-of-age thriller "Conrail" and the war thriller "Liberty"

"XXX: The Return of Xander Cage" aims to start filming early next year. More as we hear it.

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