This summer brings the release of the sixth entry in the Fast and Furious franchise, but the highly anticipated action thriller isn't the only Vin Diesel sequel to grace the screens this year.

September brings Riddick, featuring the return of the titular antihero first introduced in Pitch Black. The character's last adventure, 2004 release The Chronicles of Riddick, was tepidly received by both critics and audiences, but Diesel himself has long championed bringing Riddick back to life.

Now the actor has taken to Facebook to release a new still from Riddick. Check it out below:

CLICK FOR FULL-SIZED IMAGE

 He also wrote:

September 6th 2013!

It has been 9 years since the 'Chronicles of Riddick' was released... all along I knew I would eventually have to return to that dark place, the mind of an Alpha Furyan...

The plot of Riddick will see the Furyan warrior stranded on a distant planet and forced to rely on a group of mercenaries to find his way home. One can surmise then that this moment takes place early in the story before things truly go awry for Riddick. Still, the image of him sitting on his throne nicely contrasts with the loss of power he'll experience during the main action.

The intricacy of the throne indicates that Riddick will retain some of the larger-than-life stylistic choices of the previous film while also retaining the more intimate aesthetic of Pitch Black. The film will reportedly receive an R rating (unlike Chronicles) in an attempt to lure both fans of the series and dark sci-fi thrillers in general.

To some degree, Riddick will be shooting for the same audience as last year's Dredd. That film, of course, failed to connect at the box office despite positive reviews. It will be an intriguing test of the character's lasting appeal if Riddick – released nine years after its predecessor – manages to find an audience.

Riddick opens in regular and IMAX theaters on September 6th, 2013.

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Source: Facebook