While Vin Diesel already has one sci-fi action franchise under his belt, it appears that he’s keen on adding another to his roster.  The Riddick star is teaming up with Grace of Monaco screenwriter Arash Amel to create an original sci-fi action franchise called Soldiers of the Sun.  Per THR, the story takes place “in a post-apocalyptic future and focuses on a squad of soldiers that searches for a fabled city of gold while on a tour of duty in Mexico liberating it from an alien race known as Orcs.”  Diesel is producing the film alongside Samantha Vincent and Lorenzo di Bonaventura (Transformers), and the plan is to launch another ensemble franchise akin to the incredibly popular Fast & Furious series.  Hit the jump for more. 

THR reports that Universal Pictures—home of the FF franchise—has picked up the Soldiers of the Sun spec with Diesel attached to star, but it doesn’t sound like this one will be moving forward incredibly soon.  The actor has a rather busy schedule in the months ahead, as he starts filming Fast & Furious 7 this fall and then moves right into starring in Summit’s The Last Witch Hunter.  Moreover, Diesel is in early talks to voice the tree Groot in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, which opens in theaters next August.

Diesel has also been talking up a further two films in the Riddick series, but that all depends on how the third installment of the franchise does when it opens in theaters next month.