10 Failed Space Operas That Bombed With Mainstream Audiences
4. The Fail Is Strong With This One - The Chronicles Of Riddick (2004)
Before Vin Diesel scored huge box office returns playing a sentient tree in Guardians of the Galaxy, he tried and failed to lead a big budget space opera to mainstream success. In 2000, Diesel starred in one of his first hits, the sci-fi horror hybrid Pitch Black. In the feature, Diesel played the badass Riddick, a ruthless outlaw with the ability to see in the dark. The character became the breakout star of the sleeper hit, proving Diesel was an action icon in the making. After 2001s The Fast and The Furious shot Diesel to stardom, the newly minted leading man embarked on a mission to reprise the role of Riddick. 2004s The Chronicles of Riddick takes place in the same universe as Pitch Black, but expands the scope significantly. Instead of keeping the action on a single isolated planet like Pitch Black, The Chronicles of Riddick is a galaxy-spanning adventure that that finds Riddick battling an evil galactic empire. Critics lambasted the film with Diesels one note portrayal of Riddick earning him a Razzie nomination for worst actor. The disappointing box office put Riddick on ice for nearly a decade until Diesel eventually resurrected the character in 2013s Riddick.
