Surrogate Writers for The Return of Xander Cage

It looks like Vin Diesel’s other comeback special (the other one being the latest “Fast and the Furious” sequel) “xXx: The Return of Xander Cage” is moving full steam ahead, with news that Columbia Pictures is trying to figure out how much to pay (or in Hollywood parlance, “in talks with”) would-be writers Michael Ferris and John Brancato to pen the script. Writing duo Ferris and Brancato’s previous credits include “Terminator: Rise of the Machines”, as well as the upcoming actioners “Surrogates” and “Terminator Salvation”. Rob Cohen, who directed Diesel in the original, is expected to return for this latest installment as well.

In the original, Diesel played an extreme sports athlete name Xander Cage, who after running afoul of the law one time too many, gets offered a last chance to stay out of federal pen: come to work for the federal government to bust some international badasses using his extreme sports cred, or Samuel L. Jackson will eat his face. Needless to say, he took the first option. Have you seen Samuel L. Jackson eat someone’s face? It ain’t pretty.

Diesel stayed out of the first sequel, “State of the Union”, and was replaced by Ice Cube. And yes, in case you were wondering, there was, indeed, an occasion in the sequel where a black character uttered the lines, “Now that’s what I’m talking about!” Because, you know, in an action movie with a black leading man, that line is, like, Hollywood Law or something.

Below: I believe this is what he is referring to — er, I mean, talking about.