Another day, another franchise forVin Diesel. TheFast and Furiousstar has truly asserted himself as a man who can carry a franchise on his back and now, STX Films has locked him down for the action/comedyMuscle. Diesel will star in and produce the movie for STX. Plot details are currently being kept under wraps, but the studio is eyeing the property as a potential franchise.
Currently, there are precious few details available forMuscle, other than the fact that they are hoping this is going to be more than just a one-off deal. One Race Films' Samantha Vincent will produce the movie alongside Vin Diesel, with Reginald Hudlin and Byron Phillips, the ones who brought the project to the studio, also on board as producers. Here’s what Chairman of STX Films Adam Fogelson had this to say about it.
“I’ve known Vin for more than a decade after working closely with him on theFast and Furiousfranchise and I’m excited for him to return to this genre. ‘Muscle’ is the perfect blend of action and comedy that his millions of devoted fans around the world have come to love him for, and we believe has the potential to become his next big, signature franchise.”
STX, beyond announcing the title of the movie and its star, didn’t have much else to offer at this time. They haven’t revealed a plot synopsis, who wrote the script or who is going to be directingMuscle. There also is no word on a potential release date, or when filming may be getting underway. That may be tricky, as Diesel has avery busy schedule. But if he’s determined and truly feels like this could be a franchise play, he may be able to squeeze it in.
Hollywood runs on franchises these days and every studio is desperate to find something they can turn into one. A cinematic universe, akin to what Marvel Studios has done with the MCU, is the ultimate goal, but few studios are actually managing to pull that off with much success. Incidentally, Vin Diesel happens to be a part of the MCU. He provides thevoice of Grootin theGuardians of the Galaxymovies, as well as inAvengers: Infinity War, which is now the highest-grossing superhero movie ever. Even though Diesel says but three words in those movies, it certainly doesn’t hurt having those credits on his resume. Nor does it hurt his bank account any.
In addition to the MCU, he’s also got theFast and Furiousmovies, which continue with the ninth installment coming our way in 2020. He’s also set to lead the adaptation ofValiant’s Bloodshot comic, which shoots this summer, in addition toxXx 4, which was recently announced. IfBloodshotandMuscleare successful, that makes for quite the lineup of franchises to Vin Diesel’s name. It’s no wonderSTXwants in on the action. We’ll be sure to keep you up to date as more details on the project are made available.
