“You’re not afraid of the dark, are you?” A short teaser trailer for Riddick was released over weekend; the third sci-fi outing of Vin Diesel‘s shiny-eyed, sharp-tounged anti-hero.

It’s nearly a decade since we last encountered Riddick on the big screen, and this is our first look at the film director David Twohy (Pitch Black, Chronicles of Riddick) says will take the character back to basics – which in Furyan speak means kick’n ass and taking names.

This time Riddick is left for dead on a sun-scorched planet with some rather aggressive dragon-like creatures for company. His only chance of escape: using an emergency beacon that will call forth mercenaries who’d also want a piece his hide.

The mercenaries, who include Battlestar Galacter fav Katie Sackoff and WWE’s Dave Bautista, aren’t revealed in this teaser, but we do get some nice creature shots and a glimpse at the world on which most of the film is set.

This is definitely feels more Pitch Black than Chronicles of Riddick – a good thing, you’ll agree.

Obviously it’s way to early to form a real opinion on the film, but this tease is a promising start. All I’m hoping for is an entertaining sci-fi action romp.

Hopefully Twohy dosen’t use to much slow motion nonsense. That shot of Riddick throwing himself off a cliff received a Resident Evil-sized groan from me.

No New Zealand release date has been announced. But Oz gets the film on 12 September, so we can probably expect it then too.

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The infamous Riddick has been left for dead on a sun-scorched planet that appears to be lifeless. Soon, however, he finds himself fighting for survival against alien predators more lethal than any human he’s encountered. The only way off is for Riddick to activate an emergency beacon and alert mercenaries who rapidly descend to the planet in search of their bounty. The first ship to arrive carries a new breed of merc, more lethal and violent, while the second is captained by a man whose pursuit of Riddick is more personal. With time running out and a storm on the horizon that no one could survive, his hunters won’t leave the planet without Riddick’s head as their trophy.

Directed by David Twohy, the film stars Vin Diesel, Karl Urban, Katee Sackoff, Jordi Molla, Dave Bautista, Nolan Gerard Funk, Bokeem Woodbine, Raoul Trujillo, Antoinette Kalaj, Keri Hilson, and Neil Napier.