Written by on Aug 25, 2015. Posted in On Location

Vin Diesel to film sequel to action movie xXx on location in Philippines

Action star Vin Diesel has announced a sequel to his 2002 action movie xXx (pronounced ‘Triple-X’), which will film partly on location in the Philippines. The original film followed Diesel as an extreme sports star blackmailed into operating as a secret government agent.

A sequel – xXx: State of the Union – was released in 2005 to little impact, with Diesel replaced in the lead by actor and rapper Ice Cube.

It’s unclear whether there’s a true audience appetite for a new entry to the xXx franchise, but Diesel is clearly keen and is capitalising on his star status from the hugely-successful Fast & Furious franchise.

The Philippines is not known as an international production hub and it’s unlikely the new xXx film will be based there. However, the government has been making moves recently to launch a filming incentive and the xXx sequel could help raise the country's profile.

Action sequel The Bourne Legacy spent several months shooting key action sequences in Manila in 2011. Hollywood has not been back to the country since, but at the time of The Bourne Legacy’s release Location Manager Dow Griffith recalled a largely positive local experience.

“In the Philippines citizens were very co-operative while we filmed Bourne Legacy and that became a big advantage,” Griffith told The Location Guide: “They helped us accomplish complicated set-ups with cable camera rigs running over and through rooftops, high-speed chases down eight-lane roadways and presidential corridors, no less.

“We replaced 150 single family home rooftops in the congested community of San Andres, moving some families out completely. Everyone was very co-operative.”

Malaysia is beginning to stake a claim as a central production hub in South-East Asia. The country offers a 30% filming incentive and is also home to Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia Studios.

(Image: Sony Pictures)