Wheelman Is The Vin Diesel Action Movie Franchise That Wasn't
Wheelman was once tipped to be a major new action movie franchise for Vin Diesel, but here's why it never came to be. Diesel has had an odd relationship with franchises, famously exiting 2 Fast 2 Furious because was concerned an inferior sequel could hurt the original's chances of becoming an "American classic." He later declined to return as Xander Cage for the 2005 sequel State Of The Union for the same reason, though he did reprise the titular convict for 2004's The Chronicles Of Riddick. His no-sequel policy did lead to a few lean years in the mid-2000s, however.
The Chronicles Of Riddick underperformed, while movies such asFind Me Guilty and Babylon A.D. also did little business. Diesel reversed his thoughts on sequels for 2009's Fast & Furious movie, and after that entry was a solid hit, he helped steer the saga into becoming one of the most profitable movie franchises ever. He applied that formula to the aptly titled The Return Of Xander Cage in 2017 and attempted to build more IPs for himself with the likes of The Last Witch Hunter.
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Diesel is also an avid gamer and founded Tigon Studios in the early 2000s to develop titles that centered around him. This led to The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, which is rightly considered one of the best movie license games of all time. Tigon was also behind Wheelman, an action racing game where Diesel loaned his voice and likeness to undercover CIA agent Milo Burik. The game was announced in 2006, alongside a Wheelman movie sequel to be co-produced by Paramount and MTV Films. Diesel's — who will front a Rock 'Em Sock 'Em movie - Wheelman was set up to be the start of a new
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