Vin Diesel Teams Up With the ‘Soldiers of the Sun’ for a New Sci-Fi Franchise

Not content to be involved with only two franchises, Vin Diesel has his sights set on another possible franchise opportunity. The actor is attached to 'Soldiers of the Sun,' an original sci-fi story that could very well lead to more sequels and more cash money for the action star.

THR reports that Diesel has joined the project not only to star, but to produce along with co-producers Samantha Vincent and Lorenzo di Bonaventura. With writer Arash Amel crafting the script, Universal hopes this will lead to an exciting new franchise.

'Soldiers of the Sun' is set in a post-apocalyptic world (aren't they all?) where a group of touring soldiers are on the hunt for a mythical city of gold in Mexico. But there's one catch: the gold is guarded by an alien race known as the Orcs (so just forget everything Dungeons & Dragons and 'The Lord of the Rings' taught you).

The film is intended to be an ensemble piece (think Diesel's other franchise 'Fast and Furious') with Diesel in the lead. Amel has been praised for his true-life biopics, including the upcoming 'Grace of Monaco' with Nicole Kidman as Grace Kelly. He also wrote the action thriller 'Erased,' starring Aaron Eckhart and Olga Kurylenko.

Diesel has two sequels out this year: the previously released 'Fast and Furious 6,' and the upcoming 'Riddick.' He's also in talks to voice the role of Groot in Marvel's upcoming 'Guardians of the Galaxy.'