There are some new details about the cast of xXx: The Return of Xander Cage, which is great news for fans of martial arts. Its already been confirmed that Vin Diesel will return (as he missed the previous sequel) in the next installment of the action movie franchise, which will be directed by D.J. Caruso (Taking Lives, Disturbia, I Am Number Four). Samuel L. Jackson will also return to reprise his role.
According to some sources, other action movie veterans like Jet Li and Tony Jaa will join the two above mentioned ones, and along with them, an actress named Deepika Padukone will also appear in xXx 3.
Jet Li has become the most well-known martial artist superstar of the past thirty years, and has managed to get into Hollywood from the scene of action movies produced in Hong Kong, with movies like Romeo Must Die, Hero, Cradle 2 the Grave, and The Expendables franchise.
The lesser known Tony Jaa comes from the world of Thai action movies (most notably the Ong Bak movies), and he also played a role in Vin Diesel's hugely successful Fast & Furious 7. The least well-known name is probably that of Deepika Padukone, who has been a famous star in India since her breakthrough in the romantic comedy titled Cocktail in 2012.
According to press reports, the actress will be with the good guys in The Return of Xander Cage, but the characters of Li and Jaa are unknown. But, along with them, Irish MMA champion Conor McGregor will also play in the movie, making it the official acting debut for the Irishmen.
According to an earlier announcement by Vin Diesel, after the first film was shot in the Czech Republic in 2002 and the second had an American location with Ice Cube in the main role, the next shooting will be located in the Philippines. Allegedly, the preparations of the production were begun in December, but the date when they start the shooting is unknown. However, 2016 will be a busy year for Diesel as he will be shooting the eighth installment of the Fast & Furious movies. Even though he's best known as Dominic Torreto, it's a welcome sight for fans to see Diesel suit up as Xander Cage once more.