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In "The Chronicles of Riddick," part one in a proposed trilogy that follows up the 2000 sci-fi thriller "Pitch Black," Vin Diesel plays Riddick, a 26th century convict who can see in the dark. Riddick gets caught up in a war waged by a sect called the Necromongers, who are bent on galactic conquest. In escaping from his subterranean prison cell, he winds up on a Necromonger spaceship, where he faces off against their leader, Lord Marshal. MTV News' Ryan J. Downey caught up with Diesel to talk about the actor's dedication to the Riddick character, the challenge of creating a new sci-fi universe, and the freedom of working from scratch.
MTV: While "Pitch Black" was really character-driven and viewers got to see Riddick go through an arc and figure out his moral compass, "Chronicles of Riddick" is on such a big scale, with its own mythology and huge set pieces, it almost seemed like it was going to be impossible for it to be anything like the first movie. But somehow it managed to stay true to the Riddick character.
Vin Diesel: Very true to the character. The objective was to stay true to the character, consistent with Riddick, and at the same time explore the universe and uncover parts of this universe that, you know, the sky is the limit on. [Director] David Twohy is a genius when it comes to sci-fi, and you can see it in the film. You can see it in the special effects. You can see it in every aspect of the visuals. I came in with [a love of] fantasy, you know, being the kid that played Dungeons & Dragons for so many years, and together we created this sci-fi fantasy with this incredible ensemble cast of actors.
MTV: Shakespearean actress Judi Dench lends a veteran presence to the movie, kind of like how Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart lent credibility to the X-Men films. When they come onscreen, you go, "Wait, I believe this now." It sort of elevates it above the level of popcorn movie.
Diesel: That's exactly what we needed. That's why it was so imperative that Judi Dench would play Aereon [an ethereal being who assists Riddick in uncovering his past], because we needed somebody that could explain, very quickly, the legitimacy of this universe, and no one could do that better than Dame Judi Dench.
MTV: It's pretty gutsy right now, in today's pop-culture climate, to put out something like this, because it's not based on a comic book, it's not based on a novel, it's not a remake of a TV show or something from the '70s. It's like "Star Wars" was in the sense that it's a brand new and fresh world. Isn't that scary at all?
Diesel: Well, you've voiced all of the fears and anxieties that we had going into creating this universe. But it was fun because of that. I mean, that's what was so attractive about doing this. We were actually attempting to create something that was fresh and new and without the support of a comic book and without the support of books that were around for 50 years. ... That was very liberating for us because we didn't have to hold fast to anything that was already created.
MTV: You could make your own rules.
Diesel: We could make our own rules. We could create literally our own universe. That's what was so fun about the whole process.
MTV: The universe is cool, but let's talk about the character. What is it about Riddick that makes you so personally invested in him? You really light up when you talk about him. There's definitely a unique investment with this guy.
Diesel: It started with "Pitch Black." It started when I got the script, when I read this character with such an incredible character arc, when I was introduced to this character that was misrepresented and described by all of the surrounding characters as evil without any real proof of it. It's the ultimate underdog story. I enjoyed the idea of playing a character that is imperfect. He's not only an antihero, he's an imperfect antihero. Very capable, very proficient in many ways, but he is an imperfect character. He's not promising to be righteous. He's not promising to be holier than thou. He's not a whitewashed hero. And I think that allows the viewer and the audience to invest themselves in his spiritual growth. ... You can't assume heroism is commonplace. It's a feat just to understand it, and we go through that process with Riddick.
MTV: And when you see something as extreme as the Necromongers, it brings out some of that growth.
Diesel: It brings out the growth and brings out the necessity for that change and that understanding — if nothing else, understanding his significance in that universe. At the core of it, it's a film about identity and understanding one's significance in the universe, in our world.
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Photo: Universal
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