Vin Diesel may be presiding over a pair of anticipated actioners in F. Gary Gray’s Furious 8 and long-gestating sequel xXx 3 – said to be officially titled The Return of Xander Cage – though all has been quiet on both fronts. This begs the question as to which production will set up shop first, with all bets championing Gray’s entry into Universal’s street-racing juggernaut as the hot favorite.
Even still, considering that it’s been almost a decade-and-a-half since Diesel first yelled “I live for this shit!” there’s a particular demand to see the actor reprise his role as the cocksure, gun-toting Cage. Early reports claim that Diesel, ever the advocate of spreading the word on social media, has welcomed back Samuel L. Jackson for the action threequel, while Irish UFC champ Conor McGregor is seemingly on the verge of closing a deal to make his big screen debut.
As production begins to gather pace, TwitchFilm claims that action legends Jet Li and Tony Jaa are primed to star in xXx 3, while Colombia Pictures has purportedly set its sights on Indian star Deepika Padukone for a potential role in the D.J. Caruso-directed flick.
While we await official confirmation from either Colombia Pictures directly or Vin Diesel’s lively Facebook page, today’s unconfirmed tidbit suggests that Padukone would side with Diesel and the remaining good guys, though there’s nothing to suggest which side of the fence Li and Jaa will find themselves.
Indeed, should the rumor prove true, it’ll mark something of a reunion for Jaa and Diesel, who both appeared in Furious 7 earlier this year, and we’re hoping that Jaa is given a greater chunk of screentime for his next English-language role.
Michael Ferris and John Brancato of Terminator Salvation fame are penning the script for xXx 3 – AKA The Return of Xander Cage – and we’ll keep you updated at this story develops.