Vin Diesel was so dedicated to funding Riddick that he reportedly used his own house as collateral.
Since the folks at Universal Pictures weren’t willing to cough up enough money for the project, Diesel and director David Twohy were forced to finance the flick themselves . This meant the star would have to find a way to generate a little extra scratch.
During a recent chat with The Hollywood Reporter , Vin Diesel said he leveraged his own house to finance Riddick . Since the film wasn’t backed by a major Hollywood studio, the actor and the director were forced to become independent filmmakers all over again.
What prompted the Fast and Furious 6 star to take such a risky gamble on the project? According to the actor, his decision was based on a comment from a fan. Since this individual really wanted to see an R-rated Riddick flick, Diesel set out to make this dream come true.
“Something about that comment made me think. If I can do anything with this newfound success, if I could do anything at all, I could deliver on that wish,” Diesel told the website.
Although the actor is a huge box office draw right now, it’s not altogether surprising that Universal wasn’t willing to put lots of money behind another Riddick movie. Twohy’s effort Chronicles of Riddick wasn’t exactly a box office smash when it hit theaters back in 2004.
Once the film ended its theatrical run, the studio had banked only $115 million from around the world. Since the movie carried a production budget of $105 million, the Pitch Black follow-up wasn’t exactly a huge success. This forced Diesel and Twohy to put up their own money for the next sequel.
Those who are eagerly awaiting the sci-fi flick can check out the latest featurette below. It should hold you over until the film hits cinemas next week.
Vin Diesel and David Twohy’s Riddick will invade theaters in the US on September 6.
[Image via Universal Pictures]