Written by: David Hayter (X-Men)
Director: David Twohy (Pitch Black)
As Mr. Twohy has two films ("Below" and "Demon With a Glass Hand") scheduled for production before this is set to begin, production may not begin until some time in 2003. The script that I have read may change substantially by then.

Those who saw Pitch Black know very well how 'bad' Richard B. Riddick is. This sequel, tentatively titled "Riddick," is intended to give us some insight on just how he got to be the man that he is.

We learned from the first film that he was thrown into a dumpster during infancy. He grew up in various places and was incarcerated at an early age. He escaped from multiple correctional institutions, gaining himself a stay at Ursa Luna Maximum Security Prison. He encountered William Johns, the marshall, a number of times. Riddick was on his way back to Ursa Luna with Johns when we encounter our protagonist in Pitch Black. Luckily he had that nice tank top on.

What was successful in the first film is apparent in this script. There is a great sense of character development. Hayter's character-driven writing style worked in X-Men, though there were other things wrong with that movie. This seems to suit this type of film especially well, since it is about a specific character and his development. Crazy how that works, huh? This writing is quite good. It reads like a good book. A book that is devoured in a few short hours. Each scene is easily visualized. Each and every emotion is felt. I can only hope that this writing will translate well onto the the big screen.

While I'd rather not spoil the whole movie for the fans, I will take this time to cover some of the finer points. If you do not wish to know, do not read futher.









We won't see much of Riddick's earliest years. There are some flashbacks, but not many. The bulk of the story commences at his teen years. We notice some of his special 'abilities' early on. His psychic sense is strong from very early in the story. His speed and agility also seem above average. His original crime wasn't much, considering that murder is to follow. His time spent in jail roughens the edges. It seems as though there is something he likes about being in jail. Yet, he continues to escape. We follow his 'military career.' We go to Ursa Lunar (Slam) with him. We see surgery performed. We see relationships form, and end in death. Touched with intimacy and brutality, his stay in Slam is an eventful one. We see the imfamous escape. We see encounters with Johns (both good and bad) and learn the reasons for their contempt for eachother (completely unexpected and a good twist). And finally...we come to the Hunter Gratzner.

While it isn't very much, it's all that I can offer you at the moment. I enjoyed Pitch Black, and I enjoyed reading this script. I hope the final product is comparable to what I have just had the great pleasure to read.