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The Chronicles of Riddick (series)
Encyclopedia
The Chronicles of Riddick is a science fiction
action/horror
media franchise
, spanning two live-action feature film
s and their novelization
s, a direct-to-DVD animated film, numerous animated shorts, two video games, an Internet-based video game, figurine
s and hundreds of instances of fan fiction
. The Chronicles of Riddick is also the title of the second film in the series. The series follows the exploits of the character Richard B. Riddick
(either portrayed or voiced by Vin Diesel
in all appearances of the character) in the 28th century, and the universe in which they take place. The Chronicles of Riddick fictional universe
and its canon
was initially created with the introduction of the first installment of the franchise, Pitch Black (later called The Chronicles of Riddick: Pitch Black), which was written by David Twohy
(also director), Ken Wheat
, and his brother Jim Wheat.
On August 25, 2008, Diesel told MTV News the Riddick sequels were an active project, with David Twohy
currently writing the scripts. Said Diesel, "The only question is whether we take a page from the ‘Lord of the Rings
’ guys and try to shoot the two chapters at the same time."
On March 11, 2009, Diesel told Gamespot that people would hear more about the movie soon and that the script is wrapping up and by the release of Dark Athena there would be news of it sprouting up.
On August 4, 2009, Twohy confirmed that Diesel's newly restored box office clout may help get another Riddick outing off the ground. "I've sketched out two stories and Vin and I have figured out which one we liked best," he said.
On December 3, 2009, Diesel updated on his Facebook page that location scouting has begun in New Zealand for the new movie.
On February 11, 2010 Diesel and Twohy confirmed production of the fourth film entitled Riddick.
On September 20, 2010, "The Furyan" was announced by Diesel on his FaceBook Page.
On October 27, 2010, Diesel confirmed that at least one more sequel was planned, and that the plot would most likely revolve around Riddick's return to Furya.
On May 24, 2011 Diesel announced on his Facebook page that the writer/director of the films told him they could begin filming within months, but he would be working virtually pro bono. He said he was undecided as to what he would do.
On September 5, 2011, Diesel announced that filming for the new Riddick film will commence soon in Canada and will be distributed by Universal
. Diesel also confirmed that the film will carry an R rating.
As of September 23, 2011, the title of the film is listed as The Chronicles of Riddick: Dead Man Stalking and word has been given that Karl Urban
will reprise his role as Vaako from The Chronicles of Riddick
.
On October 29, 2011, TMZ.com
reported that the film has been shut down due to money issues.
On Novemer 27, 2011, TMZ.com
reported that the film is back up and running having paid their production fees.
special which aired before Pitch Black, and was about lawmen investigating Riddick's past as well as an investigation into the crash of the Hunter Gratzner (the spaceship from Pitch Black). It is considered a rarity now, and is only available on Region 2 copies of the Pitch Black DVD. It shows several inconsistencies with the official canon of the franchise, and might be possibly retconned by the other movies and video games.
to Pitch Black by animator Brian Murray with Twohy which is available for download at the Pitch Black website.http://www.pitchblack.com/blackbox/slamcity.html Slam City is in the form of an official, confidential prison record detailing Riddick's arrival and escape from the Ursa Luna Slamcity Facility in eleven hours twenty-two minutes. Notably, it shows Riddick undergoing the surgery (by means of a retired veterinarian
named "Cutter") that gives him "eyeshine"—the ability to see in the dark—and paying for this with a pack of Kool cigarettes as mentioned in Pitch Black. Johns is seen at the end of the movie and is charged with capturing Riddick.
Some events, such as Riddick's eyeshine, have been retcon
ned, however, for it is revealed in Butcher Bay that Riddick received them in a much different fashion.
" for site members only, "which entails killing the Lord ", and which awarded successful players with "UD" points that could be traded for prizes. The entire site, including the game, has been unavailable since January 2005.
(See below).
His character is played by Vin Diesel
throughout the series.
addict after having it prescribed to him because of the wound, and then chases Riddick down while also avoiding other mercenaries on Riddick's trail. He eventually catches Riddick on the planet Aquila Major (featured in the opening scene of Chronicles of Riddick) by killing a child and threatening to kill more unless Riddick surrenders. He gets a seat on the transport vessel Hunter Gratzner, which crashes onto the Dark Planet in Pitch Black. Johns promises to free Riddick after the crash, as he states that he is tired of chasing him. The validity of this statement is unclear. Johns helps the crash survivors (though also impedes them with his self-centeredness) and by killing one of the creatures with a shotgun, learns of their weakness to light. However, after suggesting to kill Jack, Riddick wounds Johns mortally and leaves him for dead. Johns is killed shortly afterward when a bioraptor bites his head off.
He was played by Cole Hauser
.
He was played by Keith David
.
In Pitch Black and Dark Fury she was played by Rhiana Griffith
.
In Chronicles of Riddick she was played by Alexa Davalos
.
He was played by Nick Chinlund
.
He was played by Colm Feore
.
He was played by Linus Roache
.
The Crematoria HellHounds can also be called "Crema-hounds" for short.
flight
and has since colonized
most of the inhabitable worlds
across the galaxy
.
described as "a dark mirror of the normal universe where death has no meaning", the Underverse is the ultimate destination for the Necromongers, who are being led there by the Lord Marshal, the only being to have actually been to the Underverse. Lord Marshal's pilgrimage
to the Underverse gave him almost supernatural
powers, and he returned a "holy half dead".
Earth
is no longer considered a significant planet in the grand scheme of the galaxy as hundreds of other more strategic and resource-rich worlds have also been colonized. Earth has never been seen in the Riddick universe, and few characters have even mentioned it. Of the few who have, Paris in Pitch Black, before he is eaten alive by the planet's creatures, mentions that he wanted to die "In France, on Earth. I never even saw France."
of a planet which was the first world seen in the franchise and also the primary setting for the first live-action feature film Pitch Black. Although it has a similar atmosphere and gravity to Earth, M6-117 is a desolate desert
experiencing almost constant daylight hours from three suns. One is solitary, while the other two form a binary pair. Once every 22 years, the moon will experience a solar eclipse
of all the suns as they set behind the parent planet and the eclipse lasts for months, allowing nocturnal creatures who are harmed by light to emerge onto the surface from a network of vast, underground caverns. It is implied that these creatures were responsible for making all other lifeforms on the planet extinct, and are responsible for turning the surface into a "graveyard". Their sizes range from bat-sized to about twice the size of a regular human. A previous human mining operation on the planet, who gave it the designation M6-117, suffered the same fate.
. Most or all of its inhabitants are killed or harvested for Drone recruitment, remotely-controlled cyborg
soldiers.
" and home of Abu "Imam" al-Walid and his family. The planet is constantly lit through artificial means. It is here where Riddick first learns of the Necromongers. New Mecca is taken over by Necromongers after a brief one night long battle with Helion troopers, although armed Helion resistance continues until Riddick kills the Lord Marshal, presumably freeing the planet. The only planet to be seen or at least mentioned in all three Riddick films.
and bounty hunter
s feature heavily in the stories and are often simply referred to as "Mercs". It would also appear that being a Merc is a common profession in the Riddick storyline. Mercs are often depicted as inept when compared to Riddick, simple-minded, greedy and immoral.
is one of the last surviving Furyans. In The Chronicles of Riddick it is revealed that he is the Alpha Furyan, the strongest of the race.
In the movie Pitch Black, Riddick is renowned for the unique appearance and function of his eyes. When asked about it, he says that his eyes received a "surgical shine job" on Butcher Bay by a doctor for "20 menthol Kools
." However, in The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay
it is revealed that the doctor, Pope Joe, was not responsible for this procedure. Pope Joe merely stitched a wound on Riddick's arm in payment for the retrieval of Pope Joe's beloved radio. The "eye shine" was developed in an as-yet unspecified fashion but was either developed or granted to him through his heritage as Furyan.
In The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury
, one of Antonia Chillingsworth's frozen specimens is labeled as a Furyan. The label is emblazoned with "Furya," accompanied by the comment "Killer Of Men" beneath the plaque.
Furyans are impressive physical specimens; They are stronger, faster, tougher, and hardier in most respects than the humanoid
races in the Riddick universe. Riddick is considered the strongest and most powerful Furyan seen. Riddick has been bestowed with "The Wrath of the Furyans" or "The Furyan Rage." This is essentially the collective anguish, pain, suffering and anger of the billions of Furyans who didn't escape the Necromonger slaughter 30 years ago. Its use is displayed against Vaako and the Hunting Party of Necromonger Soldiers, and he also used this technique against Abbott and his fellow prison guards in Butcher Bay post-interrogation.
The extent of the physical abilities of a Furyan are unknown. Riddick has held his own against particularly vicious predatory creatures (from Pitch Black). His physical strength and stamina allowed him to escape detainment by the bounty hunter
Johns in Pitch Black. He has inordinate athleticism and agility as demonstrated by his raw speed evading the creatures.
), is humanoid and is seemingly composed of nothing more than dense air. She becomes translucent when in the presence of blowing winds and, because of her negligible mass, she can glide through the air for extended periods of time (which is often confused with an ability to fly). The novelization by Alan Dean Foster
states that the Elementals are an offshoot of humanity. One of the Necromongers refers to her as an Air Elemental
(which in classical ceremonial magic is what Paracelsus
calls a sylph
). And the novel also hints that there are fire, water, and earth Elementals, but no other members of this race are seen in the film. According to the DVD, there are also elementals that represent Aether
.
As portrayed in the film, the Elementals are a logical race, deciding their actions on complex calculations rather than on personal opinions or emotion. They are largely a neutral people, apparently unwilling to participate in the conflicts that they view as beneath them, but take action when their calculations show that their intervention is necessary. The Necromongers point out that the Elementals do not seem to believe in any god. Dame Vaako in the film refers to them as witches and spies, which is likely meant simply to provoke Aereon.
Diesel says that in the next film he will meet fire and water Elementals, possibly explaining more of their society and evolution.
The only other possible Elemental seen is a mentally offset prisoner in Escape From Butcher Bay who considers himself to be an Elemental king.
of warriors, with their own distinctive architecture and uniforms representing their religious beliefs, who conquer planets as they make their way on a grotesque pilgrimage to Underverse--their promised land. Their religion's code of conduct states that "you keep what you kill", which applies to almost anything—not the least of which meaning that anybody could challenge the leader of the Necromongers and take his place by killing him, although due to his supernatural abilities none before Lord Vaako had dared to attempt to do so. Their leader, as Lord Vaako states is the "holy half-dead Lord Marshal" (who can even steal the soul
s of his enemies), systematically commands his Necromonger Legion Vast to overrun worlds and convert its inhabitants into Necromongers; those that oppose conversion die. Converts receive "the mark of pain" which is meant to instill in them the idea that "one pain can lessen another". Due to the Lord Marshal's prior foray into the Underverse, the Necromongers have the most advanced and dangerous weaponry in the galaxy, able to destroy planets, which they do after a campaign to replenish their ranks. The Lord Marshal launched a personal crusade against the planet Furya, after being told a prophecy by a seer that a Furyan would lead to his downfall, which proved to ultimately be true. The Furyan who finally killed him was Riddick.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
action/horror
Horror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
media franchise
Media franchise
A media franchise is an intellectual property involving the characters, setting and trademarks of an original work of media , such as a film, a work of literature, a television program or a video game. Generally, a whole series is made in a particular medium, along with merchandising and endorsements...
, spanning two live-action feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
s and their novelization
Novelization
A novelization is a novel that is written based on some other media story form rather than as an original work.Novelizations of films usually add background material not found in the original work to flesh out the story, because novels are generally longer than screenplays...
s, a direct-to-DVD animated film, numerous animated shorts, two video games, an Internet-based video game, figurine
Figurine
A figurine is a statuette that represents a human, deity or animal. Figurines may be realistic or iconic, depending on the skill and intention of the creator. The earliest were made of stone or clay...
s and hundreds of instances of fan fiction
Fan fiction
Fan fiction is a broadly-defined term for fan labor regarding stories about characters or settings written by fans of the original work, rather than by the original creator...
. The Chronicles of Riddick is also the title of the second film in the series. The series follows the exploits of the character Richard B. Riddick
Riddick
Richard B. Riddick , more commonly known simply as Riddick, is the antihero of three films in the Riddick series, namely Pitch Black, The Chronicles of Riddick, and the animated movie The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury; as well as the two video games The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher...
(either portrayed or voiced by Vin Diesel
Vin Diesel
Vin Diesel is an American actor, writer, director and producer. He became known in the early 2000s, appearing in several successful Hollywood films, including The Fast and the Furious and xXx...
in all appearances of the character) in the 28th century, and the universe in which they take place. The Chronicles of Riddick fictional universe
Fictional universe
A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with elements that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm ....
and its canon
Canon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
was initially created with the introduction of the first installment of the franchise, Pitch Black (later called The Chronicles of Riddick: Pitch Black), which was written by David Twohy
David Twohy
David Neil Twohy is an American film director and screenwriter.-Life and career:Twohy was born in Los Angeles County, California...
(also director), Ken Wheat
Ken Wheat
Ken Wheat is an American screenwriter, producer and director. He is the writer of Pitch Black and the brother of screenwriter Jim Wheat, with whom he has collaborated on a number of projects.- Filmography :...
, and his brother Jim Wheat.
Pitch Black (2000)
The first installment of the franchise, Pitch Black, was a lower budget production, but is now something of a cult film. The story involved Riddick being transported to prison on the Hunter Gratzner, a commercial cargo ship. When the spaceship is damaged in the wake of a comet and makes an emergency crash landing on an isolated desert planet, Riddick escapes. However, when flying creatures, known as Biorapters, begin attacking the survivors, Riddick joins forces with the other survivors to escape the planet. After the release of the sequel The Chronicles of Riddick, this film was renamed The Chronicles of Riddick: Pitch Black. Since then all other media in the series has borne the The Chronicles of Riddick branding.The Chronicles of Riddick (2004)
The second feature film in the series, and the second live-action film, The Chronicles of Riddick was a bigger budget production and was more action-oriented than earlier installments in the franchise. It takes place five years after Pitch Black and involved Riddick's meeting with Jack and Imam, his escape from the prison planet Crematoria, and his battle with the Necromonger fleet. It received mixed reviews.The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury (2004)
Dark Fury, a made-for-DVD animated movie, acts as a bridge between the live-action films of Pitch Black and The Chronicles of Riddick. It takes place shortly after Pitch Black and involves Riddick and the other two survivors of Pitch Black, Jack and Imam, and their run-in with a mercenary ship, as well as its captain who wishes to keep Riddick frozen as part of her collection of warriors from around the universe.Sequel
In a November 13, 2007 blogpost, writer/director Twohy acknowledged that, aided by good numbers in DVD sales, sequels were still on the table. "But if another movie surfaces, it probably won't be a Universal movie and probably will be an independent movie. Which means we'll have to make it for substantially less than the last installment. But that's okay. Pitch Black was $22 million all in. Maybe it's time to go back to our roots – as we go on to The UnderVerse."On August 25, 2008, Diesel told MTV News the Riddick sequels were an active project, with David Twohy
David Twohy
David Neil Twohy is an American film director and screenwriter.-Life and career:Twohy was born in Los Angeles County, California...
currently writing the scripts. Said Diesel, "The only question is whether we take a page from the ‘Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings film trilogy
The Lord of the Rings is an epic film trilogy consisting of three fantasy adventure films based on the three-volume book of the same name by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. The films are The Fellowship of the Ring , The Two Towers and The Return of the King .The films were directed by Peter...
’ guys and try to shoot the two chapters at the same time."
On March 11, 2009, Diesel told Gamespot that people would hear more about the movie soon and that the script is wrapping up and by the release of Dark Athena there would be news of it sprouting up.
On August 4, 2009, Twohy confirmed that Diesel's newly restored box office clout may help get another Riddick outing off the ground. "I've sketched out two stories and Vin and I have figured out which one we liked best," he said.
On December 3, 2009, Diesel updated on his Facebook page that location scouting has begun in New Zealand for the new movie.
On February 11, 2010 Diesel and Twohy confirmed production of the fourth film entitled Riddick.
On September 20, 2010, "The Furyan" was announced by Diesel on his FaceBook Page.
On October 27, 2010, Diesel confirmed that at least one more sequel was planned, and that the plot would most likely revolve around Riddick's return to Furya.
On May 24, 2011 Diesel announced on his Facebook page that the writer/director of the films told him they could begin filming within months, but he would be working virtually pro bono. He said he was undecided as to what he would do.
On September 5, 2011, Diesel announced that filming for the new Riddick film will commence soon in Canada and will be distributed by Universal
Universal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
. Diesel also confirmed that the film will carry an R rating.
As of September 23, 2011, the title of the film is listed as The Chronicles of Riddick: Dead Man Stalking and word has been given that Karl Urban
Karl Urban
Karl-Heinz Urban is a New Zealand actor.He is known for playing Éomer in the second and third installments of Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy in the 2009 film Star Trek and Julius Caesar on Xena: Warrior Princess...
will reprise his role as Vaako from The Chronicles of Riddick
The Chronicles of Riddick
The Chronicles of Riddick is a 2004 American science fiction film which follows the adventures of Richard B. Riddick, as he attempts to elude capture after the events depicted in the 2000 film Pitch Black, and details his meeting with Jack and Imam, his escape from the prison planet Crematoria, and...
.
On October 29, 2011, TMZ.com
TMZ.com
TMZ.com is a celebrity news website that debuted on November 8, 2005. It was a collaboration between America Online and Telepictures Productions, a division of Warner Bros., until Time Warner divested AOL in 2009. However, it is still affiliated with AOL News and has the AOL News logo affixed in...
reported that the film has been shut down due to money issues.
On Novemer 27, 2011, TMZ.com
TMZ.com
TMZ.com is a celebrity news website that debuted on November 8, 2005. It was a collaboration between America Online and Telepictures Productions, a division of Warner Bros., until Time Warner divested AOL in 2009. However, it is still affiliated with AOL News and has the AOL News logo affixed in...
reported that the film is back up and running having paid their production fees.
Into Pitch Black
Into Pitch Black is a Sci-Fi channelSyfy
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
special which aired before Pitch Black, and was about lawmen investigating Riddick's past as well as an investigation into the crash of the Hunter Gratzner (the spaceship from Pitch Black). It is considered a rarity now, and is only available on Region 2 copies of the Pitch Black DVD. It shows several inconsistencies with the official canon of the franchise, and might be possibly retconned by the other movies and video games.
Slam City
PITCHBLACK: Slam City is a short flash movie prequelPrequel
A prequel is a work that supplements a previously completed one, and has an earlier time setting.The widely recognized term was a 20th-century neologism, and a portmanteau from pre- and sequel...
to Pitch Black by animator Brian Murray with Twohy which is available for download at the Pitch Black website.http://www.pitchblack.com/blackbox/slamcity.html Slam City is in the form of an official, confidential prison record detailing Riddick's arrival and escape from the Ursa Luna Slamcity Facility in eleven hours twenty-two minutes. Notably, it shows Riddick undergoing the surgery (by means of a retired veterinarian
Veterinarian
A veterinary physician, colloquially called a vet, shortened from veterinarian or veterinary surgeon , is a professional who treats disease, disorder and injury in animals....
named "Cutter") that gives him "eyeshine"—the ability to see in the dark—and paying for this with a pack of Kool cigarettes as mentioned in Pitch Black. Johns is seen at the end of the movie and is charged with capturing Riddick.
Some events, such as Riddick's eyeshine, have been retcon
Retcon
Retroactive continuity is the alteration of previously established facts in a fictional work. Retcons are done for many reasons, including the accommodation of sequels or further derivative works in a series, wherein newer authors or creators want to revise the in-story history to allow a course...
ned, however, for it is revealed in Butcher Bay that Riddick received them in a much different fashion.
Video games
Two full-scale video games based on the Riddick series have been released, as well as two short Internet games.The Hunt For Riddick
The Hunt For Riddick is a point-and-click game on the Riddick official website http://www.thechroniclesofriddick.com/hunt/hunt.php?chap=1 where the player plays a rookie mercenary hired by Toombs to research Riddick and possibly find his whereabouts. The game gives much information about the Riddick universe and the player travels to a variety of locations. These include: Origin (a planet that little is known about but the game begins at and appears to be mostly a shipyard), Lupus Five (the planet Kyra joined mercenaries on), Helion Prime, Furya, Aquila Major, Crematoria, and U.V. 6.Escape from Crematoria
Escape from Crematoria was a Web-based game available at the official fan site, www.TheMercs.TheChroniclesOfRiddick.com, advertised as a "viral gameViral marketing
Viral marketing, viral advertising, or marketing buzz are buzzwords referring to marketing techniques that use pre-existing social networks to produce increases in brand awareness or to achieve other marketing objectives through self-replicating viral processes, analogous to the spread of viruses...
" for site members only, "which entails killing the Lord ", and which awarded successful players with "UD" points that could be traded for prizes. The entire site, including the game, has been unavailable since January 2005.
Escape from Butcher Bay
Escape from Butcher Bay is a video game based on the Riddick series, released for the Xbox and Windows PC. It acts as a prequel to Pitch Black, and involves Riddick's escape from the eponymous prison, Butcher Bay. Escape from Butcher Bay 2 was said to be "confirmed" as of September 2004 for future development. This second project later became Assault on Dark AthenaThe Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena
The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena is a science fiction first-person action game for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Mac OS X. The game is a sequel to The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, which has been remade and has been included along with the Assault...
(See below).
Assault on Dark Athena
The Assault on Dark Athena is a video game for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows, and Mac OS X computers. It includes an enhanced remake of Escape from Butcher Bay, and is also a retelling of the events before Pitch Black.Richard B. Riddick
The series follows the exploits of the character Richard B. Riddick. Riddick is an escaped convict with exceptional hand to hand fighting skills and the ability to see in the dark. While sharing the spotlight in Pitch Black, Riddick went on to be the main protagonist of the series.His character is played by Vin Diesel
Vin Diesel
Vin Diesel is an American actor, writer, director and producer. He became known in the early 2000s, appearing in several successful Hollywood films, including The Fast and the Furious and xXx...
throughout the series.
William J. Johns
William J. Johns is a war veteran and mercenary who was trusted to track down Riddick after he escaped from Slam City, and the primary human antagonist of Pitch Black. He captured Riddick and brought him to Butcher Bay, but upon discovering that he could not get as much of a reward as he wanted, helped Riddick escape. The Johns Chase Log on the Pitch Black special features tells of the events afterward: Riddick stabs Johns and leaves him for dead. Johns becomes a morphineMorphine
Morphine is a potent opiate analgesic medication and is considered to be the prototypical opioid. It was first isolated in 1804 by Friedrich Sertürner, first distributed by same in 1817, and first commercially sold by Merck in 1827, which at the time was a single small chemists' shop. It was more...
addict after having it prescribed to him because of the wound, and then chases Riddick down while also avoiding other mercenaries on Riddick's trail. He eventually catches Riddick on the planet Aquila Major (featured in the opening scene of Chronicles of Riddick) by killing a child and threatening to kill more unless Riddick surrenders. He gets a seat on the transport vessel Hunter Gratzner, which crashes onto the Dark Planet in Pitch Black. Johns promises to free Riddick after the crash, as he states that he is tired of chasing him. The validity of this statement is unclear. Johns helps the crash survivors (though also impedes them with his self-centeredness) and by killing one of the creatures with a shotgun, learns of their weakness to light. However, after suggesting to kill Jack, Riddick wounds Johns mortally and leaves him for dead. Johns is killed shortly afterward when a bioraptor bites his head off.
He was played by Cole Hauser
Cole Hauser
Cole Kenneth Hauser is an American film and television actor.-Family background:Hauser was born in Santa Barbara, California, son of Cass Warner, who founded the film production company Warner Sisters, and actor Wings Hauser. His paternal grandfather was Academy Award-winning screenwriter Dwight...
.
Abu "Imam" al-Walid
A character that featured in the first three Riddick movies (See above).He was played by Keith David
Keith David
Keith David Williams , better known as Keith David, is an American film, television, voice actor, and singer. He is perhaps most known for his live-action roles in such films as Crash, There's Something About Mary, Barbershop and Men at Work...
.
Jack B. Badd/Jackie B. Badd/Kyra
Another character from the first three Riddick movies (See above).In Pitch Black and Dark Fury she was played by Rhiana Griffith
Rhiana Griffith
Rhiana Jade Griffith is an Australian actress, artist and model.-Life and career:Griffith was born in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales, Australia...
.
In Chronicles of Riddick she was played by Alexa Davalos
Alexa Davalos
Alexa Davalos is an American actress. She has appeared in several Hollywood films, including Feast of Love, The Chronicles of Riddick, The Mist, Defiance, and Clash of the Titans.-Early life:...
.
Alexander Toombs
The mercenary from Chronicles of Riddick and Dark Fury.He was played by Nick Chinlund
Nick Chinlund
Zareh Nicholas "Nick" Chinlund is an American actor.-Early life:Chinlund was born in New York City. He attended the Friends Seminary in Lower Manhattan, later moving to Albany, NY in order to participate in Albany High School's varsity basketball program...
.
Zhylaw/Lord Marshal
The antagonist from Chronicles of Riddick. Before Riddick's birth, Zhylaw consulted an Elemental seer, who told him that a Furyan male would be born that would kill him in the future. In retaliation, Zhylaw attacked Furya in an attempt to massacre all male children, going so far as to personally strangle newborn infants with their own umbilical cords. He strangled Riddick with his umbilical cord and believed him dead, but Riddick actually survived. In Chronicles, the Lord Marshal and his army of Necromongers attacked Helion Prime. The Lord Marshal noticed Riddick when he killed one of his men. Suspicious of his abilities, the Lord Marshal has Riddick taken into his fortress to confirm his identity. Placed before the psychic Quasi-Deads, who claim Riddick is a Furyan, the Lord Marshal orders his death. Luckly, Riddick escapes and runs into Toombs, who takes Riddick to Crematoria. The Lord Marshal commands Necromonger Commander Vaako to find Riddick and have him killed, so Vaako sets out with a small group of Necromongers and a Purifier to bring him down. Vaako is curious as to why the Lord Marshal is so afraid of Riddick. With encouragement from his rabidly ambitious wife, Dame Vaako, the two learn, before he achieved his current title, the Lord Marshal destroyed the Furyans' homeworld of Furya and its citizens. This occurred after a seer foretold that a single Furyan would cause his downfall. They deduce Riddick is the one in the prophecy. Vaako returns to the Legion Vast, where the Lord Marshal promotes him for killing Riddick. Not quite convinced of Riddick's death, the Lord Marshal orders the "Final Protocol", which will ultimately destroy all life on Helion Prime. But Riddick already infiltrated the mother ship and makes his way to the throne room, where he comes face to face with the Lord Marshal. Riddick battles with the Lord Marshal, whose unique powers prove too great for Riddick to handle. But the Lord Marshal was killed afterwords by Riddick at the end.He was played by Colm Feore
Colm Feore
Colm Feore is an American-born Canadian stage, film and television actor.-Early life:Feore was born in Boston, Massachusetts to Irish parents who lived in Ireland for several years during Feore's early life. The family subsequently moved to Windsor, Ontario, where Feore grew up.After graduating...
.
Purifier
A member of the Necromonger fleet, the Purifier revealed that he, too, was Furyan like Riddick, before being converted. When Riddick falls unconscious after fighting the Necromonger fleet chasing him, the Purifier pulls him into the safety of the hangar and tells Riddick, "We all began as something else". Regretting what he has done under the Necromonger influence, the Purifier tells Riddick that the Furyan in him hopes he goes after the Lord Marshal, before committing suicide by walking into the sunlight of Crematoria.He was played by Linus Roache
Linus Roache
Linus William Roache is an English actor.-Early life:Roache was born in Manchester, the son of Coronation Street actor William Roache and actress Anna Cropper. Roache was educated at Bishop Luffa Church of England School in Chichester, West Sussex and at the independent Rydal School in Colwyn Bay,...
.
Pope Joe
Pope Joe is a hermit, and former Bovine Veterinarian, that lives in the sewers of Butcher Bay. After Riddick retrieved his radio from the sewers, he heals Riddick, and is credited with giving him his "eyeshine" that he uses throughout the franchise to see in the dark, but is not believed to be the actual source.M6-117 Aliens
These aliens are the predatory creatures from Pitch Black. They live on the planet M6-117, every 22 years on which an eclipse comes, in which a huge planet goes in front of M6-117 and the two planets stay aligned for a long (but undefined) amount of time.Ursa Luna Humanoids
These are humanoids seen in the flash movie on the Pitchblack.com website. They can see in the dark (like Riddick, who they refer to as "Darkeye") and they live in the Ursa Luna prison (a.k.a. "Slam City") where the guards do not tend to go. The Ursa Luna Humanoids are also called Shiners.Crematoria Hellhounds
The Crematoria HellHounds are dog-like creatures from The Chronicles of Riddick that live on Crematoria. The guards at the prison release them to kill/eat the prisoners when it's "feeding time".The Crematoria HellHounds can also be called "Crema-hounds" for short.
Lennsers
Lennsers are cyborgs from The Chronicles of Riddick. They see in infrared vision, the Necromongers use them to detect "breeders". Body movement professionals were used to show the lennsers as robots without free will.Locations
All Chronicles of Riddick stories take place in the distant future of the 28th century, long after mankind has discovered faster-than-lightFaster-than-light
Faster-than-light communications and travel refer to the propagation of information or matter faster than the speed of light....
flight
Flight
Flight is the process by which an object moves either through an atmosphere or beyond it by generating lift or propulsive thrust, or aerostatically using buoyancy, or by simple ballistic movement....
and has since colonized
Space colonization
Space colonization is the concept of permanent human habitation outside of Earth. Although hypothetical at the present time, there are many proposals and speculations about the first space colony...
most of the inhabitable worlds
Planetary habitability
Planetary habitability is the measure of a planet's or a natural satellite's potential to sustain life. Life may develop directly on a planet or satellite or be transferred to it from another body, a theoretical process known as panspermia...
across the galaxy
Milky Way
The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains the Solar System. This name derives from its appearance as a dim un-resolved "milky" glowing band arching across the night sky...
.
Underverse
A parallel universeParallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
described as "a dark mirror of the normal universe where death has no meaning", the Underverse is the ultimate destination for the Necromongers, who are being led there by the Lord Marshal, the only being to have actually been to the Underverse. Lord Marshal's pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
to the Underverse gave him almost supernatural
Supernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
powers, and he returned a "holy half dead".
Earth
The homeworld of the human race, the planetPlanet
A planet is a celestial body orbiting a star or stellar remnant that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared its neighbouring region of planetesimals.The term planet is ancient, with ties to history, science,...
Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
is no longer considered a significant planet in the grand scheme of the galaxy as hundreds of other more strategic and resource-rich worlds have also been colonized. Earth has never been seen in the Riddick universe, and few characters have even mentioned it. Of the few who have, Paris in Pitch Black, before he is eaten alive by the planet's creatures, mentions that he wanted to die "In France, on Earth. I never even saw France."
M6-117
This is a moonNatural satellite
A natural satellite or moon is a celestial body that orbits a planet or smaller body, which is called its primary. The two terms are used synonymously for non-artificial satellites of planets, of dwarf planets, and of minor planets....
of a planet which was the first world seen in the franchise and also the primary setting for the first live-action feature film Pitch Black. Although it has a similar atmosphere and gravity to Earth, M6-117 is a desolate desert
Desert planet
A desert planet is a single-biome planet on which the climate is mostly desert, with little or no natural precipitation. Desert planets are known to exist; Mars is often considered a prime example. Indeed, many terrestrial planets would be considered desert planets by this definition...
experiencing almost constant daylight hours from three suns. One is solitary, while the other two form a binary pair. Once every 22 years, the moon will experience a solar eclipse
Solar eclipse
As seen from the Earth, a solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, and the Moon fully or partially blocks the Sun as viewed from a location on Earth. This can happen only during a new moon, when the Sun and the Moon are in conjunction as seen from Earth. At least...
of all the suns as they set behind the parent planet and the eclipse lasts for months, allowing nocturnal creatures who are harmed by light to emerge onto the surface from a network of vast, underground caverns. It is implied that these creatures were responsible for making all other lifeforms on the planet extinct, and are responsible for turning the surface into a "graveyard". Their sizes range from bat-sized to about twice the size of a regular human. A previous human mining operation on the planet, who gave it the designation M6-117, suffered the same fate.
Aquila Major
Seen destroyed during the opening scenes of The Chronicles of Riddick, Aquila Major appears to be very urban but also densely forested in many areas as well. After a devastating campaign against the Aquilans, who are forced to either convert or die, the Lord Marshal of the Necromongers orders the destruction of the planet with a massive bombardment known as the "Ascension Protocol".Aguerra Prime
Presumably the major planet in the eponymously-named Aguerran System, part of Assault on Dark Athena is set here. Over the course of the game the planet comes under siege by the mercenary/slave ship Dark Athena, which takes out it orbiting satellites to prevent the planet's colonists from contacting outside help, before starting a ground assault and eventually docking the ship itself at its primary spaceportSpaceport
A spaceport or cosmodrome is a site for launching spacecraft, by analogy with seaport for ships or airport for aircraft. The word spaceport, and even more so cosmodrome, has traditionally been used for sites capable of launching spacecraft into orbit around Earth or on interplanetary trajectories...
. Most or all of its inhabitants are killed or harvested for Drone recruitment, remotely-controlled cyborg
Cyborg
A cyborg is a being with both biological and artificial parts. The term was coined in 1960 when Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline used it in an article about the advantages of self-regulating human-machine systems in outer space. D. S...
soldiers.
UV-6
First appearing in Chronicles of Riddick, this cold, barren planet is covered in ridged terrain that resembles giant fingerprints. Riddick hides here in a cave which is actually the skeleton of a whale-sized carnivorous creature, for five years, between the events of Dark Fury and Chronicles of Riddick.Crematoria
Described as one of the last remaining "triple maximum security" prisons, Crematoria is a harsh prison colony reserved for only the most dangerous criminals. The surface of the planet is uninhabitable, as the temperatures are in the wild extremes: 700°F on the daylit side and -300°F on the nighttime side. This makes the prison almost impossible to escape from, as there is only a constantly shifting twilight buffer zone on the surface of about 20 miles where humans can survive and where travel is possible.Furya
Furya was once a bustling planet whose inhabitants were fierce warriors, perhaps even a superior off-shoot of normal human beings due to the harsh conditions of the planet. The Lord Marshal of the Necromongers bombarded the planet and massacred the inhabitants in order to prevent the fulfillment of a prophecy that a Furyan would cause his downfall. This massacre takes place 30 years before The Chronicles of Riddick. An unknown but slim number of Furyans managed to escape the devastation, and from Furya itself, but the planet is now "dead, with no life to speak of."Helion Prime
A major planet of the worlds of man, Helion Prime was founded as a world where men of all faiths, religions and creeds could peacefully co-exist. It is now a flourishing and prosperous world, and the location of the city "New MeccaMecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
" and home of Abu "Imam" al-Walid and his family. The planet is constantly lit through artificial means. It is here where Riddick first learns of the Necromongers. New Mecca is taken over by Necromongers after a brief one night long battle with Helion troopers, although armed Helion resistance continues until Riddick kills the Lord Marshal, presumably freeing the planet. The only planet to be seen or at least mentioned in all three Riddick films.
Lupus Five
The planet where Kyra joined the mercenaries. It is mentioned in Chronicles of Riddick and is seen in the Hunt For Riddick game. It appears to be barren and over-industrialized, and contains a well-developed space transportation industry.Planet Origin
Seen in the internet flash game Hunt for Riddick, little is known about the planet Origin but the game begins at and appears to be mostly a shipyard.Mercs
Since the main character of the franchise is an escaped convicted murderer with a big price on his head, mercenariesMercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
and bounty hunter
Bounty hunter
A bounty hunter captures fugitives for a monetary reward . Other names, mainly used in the United States, include bail enforcement agent and fugitive recovery agent.-Laws in the U.S.:...
s feature heavily in the stories and are often simply referred to as "Mercs". It would also appear that being a Merc is a common profession in the Riddick storyline. Mercs are often depicted as inept when compared to Riddick, simple-minded, greedy and immoral.
Furyan
The Furyans are an off-shoot of the human species. RiddickRiddick
Richard B. Riddick , more commonly known simply as Riddick, is the antihero of three films in the Riddick series, namely Pitch Black, The Chronicles of Riddick, and the animated movie The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury; as well as the two video games The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher...
is one of the last surviving Furyans. In The Chronicles of Riddick it is revealed that he is the Alpha Furyan, the strongest of the race.
In the movie Pitch Black, Riddick is renowned for the unique appearance and function of his eyes. When asked about it, he says that his eyes received a "surgical shine job" on Butcher Bay by a doctor for "20 menthol Kools
KOOL (cigarette)
KOOL is a brand of menthol cigarette currently produced by the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, introduced in 1933, that has marketed itself towards the "sophisticated man". Originally introduced as an unfiltered "regular" size cigarette, filtered 85 mm king-size versions were later added to...
." However, in The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay
The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay
The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay is a first-person action/stealth video game developed by Starbreeze Studios and published by Vivendi Games. Released for the Xbox and Windows in 2004, the game is a tie-in prequel to the futuristic science fiction film The Chronicles of Riddick...
it is revealed that the doctor, Pope Joe, was not responsible for this procedure. Pope Joe merely stitched a wound on Riddick's arm in payment for the retrieval of Pope Joe's beloved radio. The "eye shine" was developed in an as-yet unspecified fashion but was either developed or granted to him through his heritage as Furyan.
In The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury
The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury
The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury is a 2004 made-for-DVD animated movie. It was directed by the Korean-American animator Peter Chung, and features Vin Diesel reprising his role of Richard B. Riddick.-Plot:...
, one of Antonia Chillingsworth's frozen specimens is labeled as a Furyan. The label is emblazoned with "Furya," accompanied by the comment "Killer Of Men" beneath the plaque.
Furyans are impressive physical specimens; They are stronger, faster, tougher, and hardier in most respects than the humanoid
Humanoid
A humanoid is something that has an appearance resembling a human being. The term first appeared in 1912 to refer to fossils which were morphologically similar to, but not identical with, those of the human skeleton. Although this usage was common in the sciences for much of the 20th century, it...
races in the Riddick universe. Riddick is considered the strongest and most powerful Furyan seen. Riddick has been bestowed with "The Wrath of the Furyans" or "The Furyan Rage." This is essentially the collective anguish, pain, suffering and anger of the billions of Furyans who didn't escape the Necromonger slaughter 30 years ago. Its use is displayed against Vaako and the Hunting Party of Necromonger Soldiers, and he also used this technique against Abbott and his fellow prison guards in Butcher Bay post-interrogation.
The extent of the physical abilities of a Furyan are unknown. Riddick has held his own against particularly vicious predatory creatures (from Pitch Black). His physical strength and stamina allowed him to escape detainment by the bounty hunter
Bounty hunter
A bounty hunter captures fugitives for a monetary reward . Other names, mainly used in the United States, include bail enforcement agent and fugitive recovery agent.-Laws in the U.S.:...
Johns in Pitch Black. He has inordinate athleticism and agility as demonstrated by his raw speed evading the creatures.
Elementals
The Elementals are introduced in The Chronicles of Riddick. The one that is seen in the film, Aereon (played by Judi DenchJudi Dench
Dame Judith Olivia "Judi" Dench, CH, DBE, FRSA is an English film, stage and television actress.Dench made her professional debut in 1957 with the Old Vic Company. Over the following few years she played in several of William Shakespeare's plays in such roles as Ophelia in Hamlet, Juliet in Romeo...
), is humanoid and is seemingly composed of nothing more than dense air. She becomes translucent when in the presence of blowing winds and, because of her negligible mass, she can glide through the air for extended periods of time (which is often confused with an ability to fly). The novelization by Alan Dean Foster
Alan Dean Foster
Alan Dean Foster is an American author of fantasy and science fiction. He currently resides in Prescott, Arizona, with his wife, and is also known for his novelizations of film scripts...
states that the Elementals are an offshoot of humanity. One of the Necromongers refers to her as an Air Elemental
Elemental
An elemental is a mythological being first appearing in the alchemical works of Paracelsus in the 16th century. Traditionally, there are four types:*gnomes, earth elementals*undines , water elementals*sylphs, air elementals...
(which in classical ceremonial magic is what Paracelsus
Paracelsus
Paracelsus was a German-Swiss Renaissance physician, botanist, alchemist, astrologer, and general occultist....
calls a sylph
Sylph
Sylph is a mythological creature in the Western tradition. The term originates in Paracelsus, who describes sylphs as invisible beings of the air, his elementals of air...
). And the novel also hints that there are fire, water, and earth Elementals, but no other members of this race are seen in the film. According to the DVD, there are also elementals that represent Aether
Aether
-Metaphysics and mythology:* Aether , the material that fills the region of the universe above the terrestrial sphere* Aether was the personification of the "upper sky", space and heaven, in Greek mythology-Science and engineering:...
.
As portrayed in the film, the Elementals are a logical race, deciding their actions on complex calculations rather than on personal opinions or emotion. They are largely a neutral people, apparently unwilling to participate in the conflicts that they view as beneath them, but take action when their calculations show that their intervention is necessary. The Necromongers point out that the Elementals do not seem to believe in any god. Dame Vaako in the film refers to them as witches and spies, which is likely meant simply to provoke Aereon.
Diesel says that in the next film he will meet fire and water Elementals, possibly explaining more of their society and evolution.
The only other possible Elemental seen is a mentally offset prisoner in Escape From Butcher Bay who considers himself to be an Elemental king.
Necromongers
The Necromongers are a doomsday cultDoomsday cult
Doomsday cult is an expression used to describe groups who believe in Apocalypticism and Millenarianism, and can refer both to groups that prophesy catastrophe and destruction, and to those that attempt to bring it about...
of warriors, with their own distinctive architecture and uniforms representing their religious beliefs, who conquer planets as they make their way on a grotesque pilgrimage to Underverse--their promised land. Their religion's code of conduct states that "you keep what you kill", which applies to almost anything—not the least of which meaning that anybody could challenge the leader of the Necromongers and take his place by killing him, although due to his supernatural abilities none before Lord Vaako had dared to attempt to do so. Their leader, as Lord Vaako states is the "holy half-dead Lord Marshal" (who can even steal the soul
Soul
A soul in certain spiritual, philosophical, and psychological traditions is the incorporeal essence of a person or living thing or object. Many philosophical and spiritual systems teach that humans have souls, and others teach that all living things and even inanimate objects have souls. The...
s of his enemies), systematically commands his Necromonger Legion Vast to overrun worlds and convert its inhabitants into Necromongers; those that oppose conversion die. Converts receive "the mark of pain" which is meant to instill in them the idea that "one pain can lessen another". Due to the Lord Marshal's prior foray into the Underverse, the Necromongers have the most advanced and dangerous weaponry in the galaxy, able to destroy planets, which they do after a campaign to replenish their ranks. The Lord Marshal launched a personal crusade against the planet Furya, after being told a prophecy by a seer that a Furyan would lead to his downfall, which proved to ultimately be true. The Furyan who finally killed him was Riddick.