Bad news today for fans of the xXx franchise - yes, both of you - with the news that Rob Cohen will probably not be returning to the franchise for proposed threequel xXx: The Return of Xander Cage after all, because he's off to direct a script called Medieval instead.
The details of the script, written by Alex Litvak and Michael Finch, are still under wraps, but it's described variously as an "event picture" set in medieval times that "brings together warriors from disparate cultures" in a "heightened reality". Cohen rather more succinctly describes it as The Magnificent Seven in the Middle Ages, which sounds slightly more promising.
Cohen studied European history and anthropology at Harvard (yes, really) so in a strange way this is a return to his roots after years of blowing shit up. The hope is that production will be underway by October, so we're guessing this'll be released in time for Christmas 2010 or possibly the following May.
Cohen hasn't ruled out returning to xXx completely, apparently telling Vin Diesel that he had to do this and would understand if they can't wait for him to finish; but it seems likely that the director's chair will be filled elsewhere in the meantime.
So, good thing or not?