When the theatrical version of The Chronicles of Riddick was released this past summer it was considered a failure and another nail in the coffin of Vin Diesels action movie career. But today Universal Studios Home Video has released the Unrated Directors Cut of The Chronicles of Riddick on DVD. It adds 15 minutes of footage back into the film mostly of a mystical character named Shirah, giving Riddick knowledge, a lot more violence and amazing extras such as Vin himself showing us around Riddicks most impressive sets.
I got a chance to talk with Vin about the DVD the other day. Vin, in person, is a lot more charming than Riddick. Hes just wonderful, relaxed and a lot of fun. He was a bit late but the fantastic Universal publicity team calmed us down by tossing DVDs at us.
Go to the website for The Chronicles of Riddick DVD
Daniel Robert Epstein: How pleased were you with the theatrical cut of The Chronicles of Riddick and what did you want to see go back in for the Unrated Directors Cut?
Vin Diesel: I was pleased with the theatrical and I was excited about the DVD directors cut because I was excited about adding other story elements to the film that we werent able to incorporate into the theatrical experience. I think what were finding is that the DVD is defining itself as a separate medium. Unlike the VHS copies of movies we used to get, that were just an opportunity to see the movie at home, the DVD experience is an opportunity to fully explore this Chronicles of Riddick universe. A DVD is an opportunity to go behind the scenes in an interesting way and the director usually gets an opportunity to tell the whole story and not be limited to theatrical running times or what have you.
DRE: To your thinking what does the Shirah footage add to the film? It was important stuff and the theatrical version would have benefited from it.
VD: [Diesel applauds] I think those scenes give you a sense of origin. I think it starts to flesh out a sense of origin for our Riddick character, this enigmatic character. In a cool way the Shirah character really comes in at important moments. The Shirah character, in creating this story, was designed to introduce Riddick to his Furyan nature. So, on the runway, she unleashes radiance of Fury, this burst of Furyan energy that actually repels his negative energy, which is this long explanation that youll see in future Chronicles of Riddick pictures. When we were creating this story we were creating a story that would be told over three films which the Shirah character plays to. The Shirah character is introduced in this film, but its paid off in the third film. The way that its designed, and I hope Im not giving too much away, but in Chronicles of Riddick 2 we now go to the Underverse and then C3 is that final return home to Furyan. Thats in a nutshell.
DRE: Are the next two films a lock? Are they definitely happening?
VD: Nothing is a lock in this world. I guess well see what happens with the DVD.
DRE: The DVD can bring a whole new life to a franchise. Do you think people wait for the DVD now because they know there will be an unrated cut or more footage?
VD: Yeah, I think people will wait for the DVD. Pitch Black was really introduced to the world via DVD. I dont know how many of us actually saw the movie in a theater. I think, and Ive always thought, that The Chronicles of Riddick is this intense ball of energy that hasnt really exploded yet and that will continue on throughout the DVD release. Theres a sequel to the videogame being made. Theres constantly work being done on the franchise. I think that there will be the follow-ups. I think youll have to see Riddick go to the Underverse and I think youll ultimately have to see Riddick go back to Furyea.
DRE: Chronicles of Riddick made more money than the first film did, but because it cost so much theres a perception that it was not a successful movie. So how much is riding on the DVD in terms of the future of the franchise?
VD: Good question. It depends who you ask. For me, we made Pitch Black with $20 million. I think you can continue this character regardless of the film budget. Will the next film be a PG-13, $100 million and something movie? We would return to the rated R fashion that Pitch Black was shot in.
DRE: Can you talk about incorporating so many other formats into the Riddick universe, thereby extending the universe?
VD: Absolutely. That was the whole idea of doing the Peter Chung doing, Dark Fury, the Riddick anime. That was the motivating force in creating [Diesels gaming company] Taigon and creating the videogame Escape from Butcher Bay with Starbreeze and Vivendi, because it would give us an opportunity to explain some of the back-story of Riddick. In the videogame you learn how he got his eyes and you learn what hes been doing with them. The videogame does a lot to flesh out the universe and the mythology, and that was what was so fun about doing the videogame because, obviously, its such a less expensive way to play, to be creative.
[Vin sees my Scarface DVD] Thats so funny. Snoop [Dogg] said to me after he came to the premiere, Man, that was like Scarface in space.
DRE: When you were first introduced to the character of Riddick did you always feel this passionately about him? Did you always think it would enjoy this extended life?
VD: When I first did Pitch Black I was drawn to this intense character arc. This was the first character arc that I had seen that was that interesting. He starts out as a serial killer and then hes the only guy that could save you. I thought that was a really attractive element to doing the film. Once I was actually shooting in Australia and we were nearing the end of production, thats when I started to think, Wow, wouldnt it be cool It might have been while we were shooting some of the shots leaving the planet that I thought, Wouldnt it be cool if we could follow Riddick off of this planet and allow him to introduce us to this whole universe and this mythology? So that concept started while we were nearing the end of our production shoot in Australia on Pitch Black.
DRE: Graham Norton told me you screen tested for Lord of the Rings and you are a Dungeons & Dragons fan. Do you consider this your Lord of the Rings?
VD: Yes, this is only partially fantasy though. The expertise of David Twohy, if you will, is that sci-fi world. So this was a fusion of sci-fi and fantasy. That was the objective.
DRE: Weve mentioned Lord of the Rings. As a filmmaker and storyteller, what are you thoughts on the gamble of coming up with a mythology when theres not assurance that its going to pay off. Thats got to be exciting and frightening.
VD: It is thrilling and its frightening. Its thrilling because youre really going for a story that isnt done in a reactionary way. It isnt like weve done a film and said, Oh, weve made a lot of money off that. OK, lets put something together and do another one. I think were being responsible in our storytelling by thinking up all three stories before making the first one. But there is that level of anxiety because you get questions like, Is the future film dependent on that? Its a realistic question. But if youre enjoying the creative process its not life-threatening to be creative.
DRE: Despite the fact that you know where the second and third stories are going, do you feel a responsibility to make it as independent of the other two as possible, just in case?
VD: I dont because the whole objective for me, in my mind, is to try to introduce characters that, in a very George Lucas 70s way, dont pay off until later films. I like that. I think that speaks to well thought-out trilogy. But again, there is the anxiety. The film business is so arbitrary that you dont know thats going to happen. We made Pitch Black with a company called Polygram.
DRE: What are your thoughts on pirating in the DVD industry?
VD: I wouldnt know what to say. Its definitely not the most drastic issue in our country. But I dont think anybody should be bootlegging my films.
DRE: What did you get out of working with Sidney Lumet?
VD: I learned so much. He is so incredible and so demanding in some ways. We would do five to 13 pages of dialogue a day and seven minute talking shots. He has it all mapped out in his head. What I really think is that Sidney Lumet will be someone we will be reminded of next year when this movie comes out. The great thing about Sidney is that he knows that at heart I am a director, and plan to return to it shortly, he will have me come behind the monitor to see these very cool shots. He is going to do this whole film in under a month and he is excited everyday on this set. I feel like Im doing an opening night performance every night. Its just a dream of every New York actor. Its some form of method acting because I am doing nothing but reciting lines as my character.
In fact one of the great things about working with Sidney is that when I directed my film, Multi-Facial, I used Making Movies by Sidney Lumet to the point where I wanted to rehearse at the Ukrainian Hall.
DRE: Early on in your career you said, Im going to be the biggest action star in the world. Now that you are, whats different about being where you are from what you expected?
VD: Well, now thats a long answer. A lot of people say they love what they do, but I really, really love what I do, to the point where Im borderline obsessed with what I do. Its my hobby. Its my lifestyle. So I actually dont think about it as much as I possibly could because I always feel like Im behind the 8-ball. I feel like I should be talking about Hannibal the Conqueror already. So Ive got to get back and get to work. Im in a very lucky position because on one hand Im able to do these big action films that are fun, that are empowering to some degree. You charge people up when they come to the theater to see this whole production. But on another level, on the other hand, Im able to work with Sidney Lumet. Ive been working with Sidney on a film for the last four weeks. I gained weight and my whole look has changed. I cannot tell you what kind of an unbelievable experience its been. Ive locked myself up in my apartment for four weeks because Im playing a character that is defending himself in court but living in prison. Its a character named Jack DiNorscio from the trial that went on in the 80s, the largest mob trial in history, where 20 defendants were acquitted. Thats the story Im doing right now. So my answer is I feel incredibly fortunate. I know it sounds like bullshit. I know it sounds fabricated when people say stuff like that, but its what Ive wanted to dedicate my life to, film, and the making of film and the exploration of film.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
I got a chance to talk with Vin about the DVD the other day. Vin, in person, is a lot more charming than Riddick. Hes just wonderful, relaxed and a lot of fun. He was a bit late but the fantastic Universal publicity team calmed us down by tossing DVDs at us.
Go to the website for The Chronicles of Riddick DVD
Daniel Robert Epstein: How pleased were you with the theatrical cut of The Chronicles of Riddick and what did you want to see go back in for the Unrated Directors Cut?
Vin Diesel: I was pleased with the theatrical and I was excited about the DVD directors cut because I was excited about adding other story elements to the film that we werent able to incorporate into the theatrical experience. I think what were finding is that the DVD is defining itself as a separate medium. Unlike the VHS copies of movies we used to get, that were just an opportunity to see the movie at home, the DVD experience is an opportunity to fully explore this Chronicles of Riddick universe. A DVD is an opportunity to go behind the scenes in an interesting way and the director usually gets an opportunity to tell the whole story and not be limited to theatrical running times or what have you.
DRE: To your thinking what does the Shirah footage add to the film? It was important stuff and the theatrical version would have benefited from it.
VD: [Diesel applauds] I think those scenes give you a sense of origin. I think it starts to flesh out a sense of origin for our Riddick character, this enigmatic character. In a cool way the Shirah character really comes in at important moments. The Shirah character, in creating this story, was designed to introduce Riddick to his Furyan nature. So, on the runway, she unleashes radiance of Fury, this burst of Furyan energy that actually repels his negative energy, which is this long explanation that youll see in future Chronicles of Riddick pictures. When we were creating this story we were creating a story that would be told over three films which the Shirah character plays to. The Shirah character is introduced in this film, but its paid off in the third film. The way that its designed, and I hope Im not giving too much away, but in Chronicles of Riddick 2 we now go to the Underverse and then C3 is that final return home to Furyan. Thats in a nutshell.
DRE: Are the next two films a lock? Are they definitely happening?
VD: Nothing is a lock in this world. I guess well see what happens with the DVD.
DRE: The DVD can bring a whole new life to a franchise. Do you think people wait for the DVD now because they know there will be an unrated cut or more footage?
VD: Yeah, I think people will wait for the DVD. Pitch Black was really introduced to the world via DVD. I dont know how many of us actually saw the movie in a theater. I think, and Ive always thought, that The Chronicles of Riddick is this intense ball of energy that hasnt really exploded yet and that will continue on throughout the DVD release. Theres a sequel to the videogame being made. Theres constantly work being done on the franchise. I think that there will be the follow-ups. I think youll have to see Riddick go to the Underverse and I think youll ultimately have to see Riddick go back to Furyea.
DRE: Chronicles of Riddick made more money than the first film did, but because it cost so much theres a perception that it was not a successful movie. So how much is riding on the DVD in terms of the future of the franchise?
VD: Good question. It depends who you ask. For me, we made Pitch Black with $20 million. I think you can continue this character regardless of the film budget. Will the next film be a PG-13, $100 million and something movie? We would return to the rated R fashion that Pitch Black was shot in.
DRE: Can you talk about incorporating so many other formats into the Riddick universe, thereby extending the universe?
VD: Absolutely. That was the whole idea of doing the Peter Chung doing, Dark Fury, the Riddick anime. That was the motivating force in creating [Diesels gaming company] Taigon and creating the videogame Escape from Butcher Bay with Starbreeze and Vivendi, because it would give us an opportunity to explain some of the back-story of Riddick. In the videogame you learn how he got his eyes and you learn what hes been doing with them. The videogame does a lot to flesh out the universe and the mythology, and that was what was so fun about doing the videogame because, obviously, its such a less expensive way to play, to be creative.
[Vin sees my Scarface DVD] Thats so funny. Snoop [Dogg] said to me after he came to the premiere, Man, that was like Scarface in space.
DRE: When you were first introduced to the character of Riddick did you always feel this passionately about him? Did you always think it would enjoy this extended life?
VD: When I first did Pitch Black I was drawn to this intense character arc. This was the first character arc that I had seen that was that interesting. He starts out as a serial killer and then hes the only guy that could save you. I thought that was a really attractive element to doing the film. Once I was actually shooting in Australia and we were nearing the end of production, thats when I started to think, Wow, wouldnt it be cool It might have been while we were shooting some of the shots leaving the planet that I thought, Wouldnt it be cool if we could follow Riddick off of this planet and allow him to introduce us to this whole universe and this mythology? So that concept started while we were nearing the end of our production shoot in Australia on Pitch Black.
DRE: Graham Norton told me you screen tested for Lord of the Rings and you are a Dungeons & Dragons fan. Do you consider this your Lord of the Rings?
VD: Yes, this is only partially fantasy though. The expertise of David Twohy, if you will, is that sci-fi world. So this was a fusion of sci-fi and fantasy. That was the objective.
DRE: Weve mentioned Lord of the Rings. As a filmmaker and storyteller, what are you thoughts on the gamble of coming up with a mythology when theres not assurance that its going to pay off. Thats got to be exciting and frightening.
VD: It is thrilling and its frightening. Its thrilling because youre really going for a story that isnt done in a reactionary way. It isnt like weve done a film and said, Oh, weve made a lot of money off that. OK, lets put something together and do another one. I think were being responsible in our storytelling by thinking up all three stories before making the first one. But there is that level of anxiety because you get questions like, Is the future film dependent on that? Its a realistic question. But if youre enjoying the creative process its not life-threatening to be creative.
DRE: Despite the fact that you know where the second and third stories are going, do you feel a responsibility to make it as independent of the other two as possible, just in case?
VD: I dont because the whole objective for me, in my mind, is to try to introduce characters that, in a very George Lucas 70s way, dont pay off until later films. I like that. I think that speaks to well thought-out trilogy. But again, there is the anxiety. The film business is so arbitrary that you dont know thats going to happen. We made Pitch Black with a company called Polygram.
DRE: What are your thoughts on pirating in the DVD industry?
VD: I wouldnt know what to say. Its definitely not the most drastic issue in our country. But I dont think anybody should be bootlegging my films.
DRE: What did you get out of working with Sidney Lumet?
VD: I learned so much. He is so incredible and so demanding in some ways. We would do five to 13 pages of dialogue a day and seven minute talking shots. He has it all mapped out in his head. What I really think is that Sidney Lumet will be someone we will be reminded of next year when this movie comes out. The great thing about Sidney is that he knows that at heart I am a director, and plan to return to it shortly, he will have me come behind the monitor to see these very cool shots. He is going to do this whole film in under a month and he is excited everyday on this set. I feel like Im doing an opening night performance every night. Its just a dream of every New York actor. Its some form of method acting because I am doing nothing but reciting lines as my character.
In fact one of the great things about working with Sidney is that when I directed my film, Multi-Facial, I used Making Movies by Sidney Lumet to the point where I wanted to rehearse at the Ukrainian Hall.
DRE: Early on in your career you said, Im going to be the biggest action star in the world. Now that you are, whats different about being where you are from what you expected?
VD: Well, now thats a long answer. A lot of people say they love what they do, but I really, really love what I do, to the point where Im borderline obsessed with what I do. Its my hobby. Its my lifestyle. So I actually dont think about it as much as I possibly could because I always feel like Im behind the 8-ball. I feel like I should be talking about Hannibal the Conqueror already. So Ive got to get back and get to work. Im in a very lucky position because on one hand Im able to do these big action films that are fun, that are empowering to some degree. You charge people up when they come to the theater to see this whole production. But on another level, on the other hand, Im able to work with Sidney Lumet. Ive been working with Sidney on a film for the last four weeks. I gained weight and my whole look has changed. I cannot tell you what kind of an unbelievable experience its been. Ive locked myself up in my apartment for four weeks because Im playing a character that is defending himself in court but living in prison. Its a character named Jack DiNorscio from the trial that went on in the 80s, the largest mob trial in history, where 20 defendants were acquitted. Thats the story Im doing right now. So my answer is I feel incredibly fortunate. I know it sounds like bullshit. I know it sounds fabricated when people say stuff like that, but its what Ive wanted to dedicate my life to, film, and the making of film and the exploration of film.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
VIEW 25 of 31 COMMENTS
mckenzie:
I heard he was gay pls tell me hes not!
shugr:
mmm Vin Diesel 