Vin Diesel may have become a global megastar after the Fast & Furious franchise became a multibillion-dollar success, but his real fans will never forget how he made his name as an action star in Pitch Black.
Fans were won over by the flashy goggle-wearing antihero with a lot of swag, and this sci-fi horror film went on to become a blockbuster hit. Fans had to wait a long time for sequels, but they were always worth the wait, with The Chronicles of Riddick in 2004 and Riddick in 2013 both receiving positive reviews.
If you’re unfamiliar with the franchise or need a refresher, feel free to watch our videos where we go over the series in depth. It was a happy moment for us when Vin Diesel personally complimented our efforts in one of his Instagram posts, and we’re all very eager to learn more about the franchise’s future installment.
We decided to take the path less traveled in today’s video and bring you some behind-the-scenes trivia and lesser-known facts about the franchise. It’s never a bad idea to brush up on one of the most popular sci-fi franchises of the post-2000 age!
Changes from the original script for Pitch Black
Ken and Jim Wheat, the brotherly duo worked on the original script of Pitch Black, and it was titled Nightfall. They had some experience working in movies, and they were previously involved with movies such as A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, and The Fly II.
They also directed a Star Wars TV movie, and clearly, they weren’t newcomers on the block. The initial draft of the script had some clear similarities with Alien, and everything from crash-landing on an alien planet to the dreaded monsters seemed all too familiar. Meanwhile, the director David Twohy had done some homework while trying to create something along the lines of Alien 3.
It was well established that Pitch Black was going to be pretty similar to Alien, and this made the director look for some changes. For starters, the convict was a female character in the initial script and it was changed. David Twohy decided to go ahead with some serious character development throughout the course of the narrative. This certainly made things quite engaging, and the multiple character arcs were quite interesting to follow.
There is quite an extensive Pitch Black novelization that gives more of a background for Riddick. We get to know more about his past, where he used to be a soldier who became a whistleblower and exposed some closely guarded dark secrets. This is how he had become a convict. The book also offers more insights into some of the other characters in the movie.
The idea was not to go for stars
We have already spoken about the fact that Vin Diesel was not the megastar that you know him to be back when this movie was being made. The director was very particular that he did not want star-power to drive his film, and the modest budget of $25 million would not permit casting any big names. Besides, David Twohy was quite aware that having a superstar in the mix of things could hinder work culture, and eventually make little difference to the end result.
The studio still wanted him to go with an A-list cast, but the director did not believe in actors standing around while their stunt doubles did all the work. Vin Diesel had performed in a couple of short films and they impressed Steven Spielberg enough to hand him a small role in his movie Saving Private Ryan. He was not well-known, but he was someone with tons of potential, and this is exactly what the director was looking for. He went ahead with Vin Diesel as the convict, Riddick, and the rest, as they say, is history!
The Creature designs had to be carefully done
The last thing you want when you are making a movie from a relatively new studio is to run into copyright strikes. David Twohy and the producers were all too aware of the consequences, and they took adequate precautions to prevent the same. They were careful to not have the creatures resemble some of the well-known monsters and creatures that had already been established in cinema.
Thus, the creatures had to look very different from Godzilla or the common dinosaurs seen in Jurassic Park. Eventually, the FX experts came up with a creature, the Bioraptors, which they described as a shark blended with a pterodactyl. The creature had the killer instinct of a lion, and the overall appearance and characteristics of the creature certainly added to the excitement in the narrative.
Riddick was meant to die
The initial idea was for Riddick to die a heroic death, while Carolyn would be the sole survivor. But this changed pretty quickly once the studio realized the potential of the character. The test audience had responded in an ecstatic fashion, and the studio could foresee the possibility of a few sequels along the way. Hence, they chose to keep Riddick alive, and it certainly came in handy! It was not an instant hit, but with time it gained the cult status that prompted a couple of sequels with another coming along. Had Riddick been dead, we are pretty sure that the sequels wouldn’t have worked out!
They shot in the same location as Mad Max
It wasn’t the easiest task to find the right location for the alien desert in Pitch Black. The makers turned to the wilderness of the Australian outback for this one, and they shot in some of the same locations as the Mad Max movies. In fact, David Twohy also got David Eggby on board, the same man who was responsible for the cinematography in Mad Max. His expertise in exploring the best bits of the desert landscape, and perfecting the barren lifeless look came in handy, and he was also roped in during the filming of Riddick, the third movie in the franchise.
The Riddick franchise owes a lot to Fast & Furious
This might come as a surprise for many because it is a popular belief that the Fast & Furious movies delayed the Riddick films. The reality is something very different. After the success of the first movie, the second one did not fare too well at the box office. This threatened the franchise with extinction, and Vin Diesel personally took the responsibility of avoiding such a situation. He performed a cameo in Tokyo Drift, which also ensured that the Fast & Furious remained relevant and kept viewers interested. He did not charge anything for his role, instead, he got the rights to the Riddick franchise. Now, his passion project was safe, and it is probably what made the third movie possible!
Vin Diesel took some major financial risks
It is always somewhat risky for an actor to own the rights to a certain franchise starring himself. Yes, there are plenty of advantages, but the cons are far too risky and keep people away from such bargains. Vin Diesel, however, is a passionate actor, and he believed in the project enough to take the risks.
The third movie in the franchise, Riddick, was almost entirely produced by his solitary efforts, and without a major studio backing him up, the struggle was pretty obvious. The budget was nothing substantial, and even then Vin Diesel had to fund the movie personally, mortgaging his house in the process. If the movie didn’t get made, he would have lost his house and struggled with his finances, but even such serious threats did not perturb him. In fact, the cast of Riddick vouch for the supportive nature of Vin Diesel as a producer. Anything for the family, eh!
It was never meant to become a franchise
Surprised as you may be, the Riddick franchise was never really planned. For David Twohy, it was more of an experimental project that he himself wasn’t sure about. He had been one of those who proposed a script for Alien 3, and he brought his research for the same into the making of Pitch Black. After an overwhelming test audience response, it started to dawn on him that the story had the potential to become a series, and with time, Pitch Black surely became a cult classic. Instead of a standalone movie, it now could become a popular franchise, and after over 21 years, it has certainly proved to be true!
Vin Diesel’s contact lenses had some serious issues
Throughout the movie, Riddick is seen wearing a special type of contact lens to make the uniqueness of his eyes convincing. The makers also used some CGI enhancements, but the lenses added to the look. This meant that Vin Diesel had to take the trouble of wearing these lenses, which were prototypes that hadn’t been tested before. It was not the most pleasant experience for the actor, especially when the irritations in his eyes started growing to obnoxious levels.
On the very first day of filming, an optometrist had to be flown in because the contact lenses could not be removed. Later, the actor had to be taken to a hospital to ensure that his eyes weren’t seriously harmed by the impact. Hats off to the dedication of Vin Diesel, who never threw a tantrum for all the trouble he had to go through, and the final appearance of Riddick certainly made his tolerance worthwhile! This wasn’t the only problem that Vin Diesel had to face because during the suspended animation scene the actor reportedly felt extremely claustrophobic and had a minor panic attack.
The cast and crew of Pitch Black had to struggle with the weather
We have already spoken about the movie being filmed in the Australian deserts, and the weather conditions were far from pleasant. The shooting took place during the Australian winter, and things got extremely cold for the cast and crew. In the movie, the remote desert planet is made to look scorching hot, but the reality was quite the opposite. To make the sweat beads appear on the actors, water was sprinkled on their bodies, and it only made things even more difficult in the harsh, cold weather! Some well-handled edit work did the trick in places, and the grit and determination of the team also helped them sail through the challenges.
The name Riddick was probably inspired by a medical condition
Riddick is quite a curious choice for a name, but this name actually could have taken some major inspiration from a particular medical condition. Riddoch’s Syndrome is a condition, where people can only perceive things based on their movement, just like the T-Rex in Jurassic Park. It could have prompted the creators to name the protagonist Riddick, and we have to say that it is a rather accurate name!
Graeme Revell was the reason behind the magical musical score
One of the things that you will notice about Pitch Black is the unique and mesmerizing background score throughout the movie. The credit is due for the composer Graeme Revell who has quite a collection of movies that people remember for the musical score. He worked in The Crow, From Dusk Till Dawn, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Movie, and the TV series Gotham, all of which were praised for their musical prowess. Having a veteran like him certainly helped because the mysterious storyline was all the more enjoyable with the magical musical score!
Now that you have been enlightened with so much about the previous movies, it is time to look ahead. Vin Diesel confirmed back in 2016 that he was working alongside David Twohy to develop the fourth Riddick movie, which would be called Riddick: Furya. It has been delayed considerably because of the pandemic, but the actor is clearly determined to make it happen irrespective of the time lost. There is no official estimate as of yet, but rest assured the movie will happen sooner or later! As long as the new movie lives up to the expectations of the fans, we are sure they wouldn’t mind waiting!