Original Vin

So ''Hannibal'''s happening, but what about ''The Chronicles of Riddick''?
One thing I didn't want to do was make a sequel to ''Pitch Black,'' which is what the two writers they brought in wrote. Instead, I wanted to create a universe with a modern-day mythology, the way Tolkien did. I've got books and notes and research that will never play in the movie, but it's just to re-enforce the mythology, so we can say where a character originated from or what their primary source of income is. I want to be able to explain the mythological purpose of Riddick and his origin. And Judi Dench is playing Aereon! It doesn't get better than that! She Gandalf-izes the movie.

So how much did you contribute to the final story line? Did you do any writing?
I had a story that I brought to [director] David Twohy. There's stuff about plane travel that I want to incorporate that I don't think we've ever seen in movies. And when I say plane travel, I mean travel between dimensions, not airplanes. There's a race of creatures called Necomongers that originate from a demiplane of shadow, which is where the negative plane overlaps with the prime material plane and creates its own universe. This is going to be really hot stuff.

What about ''Guys and Dolls''? And the ''XXX'' sequels?
If they make ''Guys and Dolls,'' I've got to make some room for that, because that's just fun! I'm a huge musical fan. And two movies are being written for ''XXX'': ''XXX2'' and ''XXX3.'' We have to decide which one we do first, the one that's ''XXX'' in Washington, D.C., or ''XXX'' in the Orient.

Before ''Saving Private Ryan,'' you wrote, produced, and directed a movie called ''Strays,'' about an older brother struggling to keep his family together. MTV optioned it for a future series, but will we ever see it?
I see no reason why not. But if I have to write it, it's going to take a while. The funny thing is, [the movie] ''Strays'' hasn't even been released yet. Everyone sees the home runs [I've hit], but no one sees the strike outs. And that was one of mine. I thought I would sell it because it got into dramatic competition at Sundance, but it didn't happen. So it'll be out next year on DVD. After that, we'll figure out a way to make the TV show.

Your career exploded after ''The Fast and the Furious.'' How are you dealing with fame and $20 million paydays [for ''XXX3'']?
I don't have time to think about it. I don't even think rich now, I still think poor. I'm really embarrassed by how much I think poor. I don't feel comfortable buying things for myself. I'm not even smart enough to get a house. My house is really just a huge production office, stacked with books about Hannibal.

You don't look as muscular as you do in the film. Are you too busy to bulk up?
I don't work out on my off time as much, and the reason is because I never know what the next character will entail. I may have to be anorexic or obese in my next film, and I want to have as neutral of a starting a point as possible.

Is there anything you have time to do in your spare time?
As we speak, I'm producing a documentary about calypso music in Trinidad, sort of like ''The Buena Vista Social Club'' for calypso. There's a great calypso carnival there every year, and just the way rappers battle today, calypso musicians come together and play. And I'm doing the narration. So, you know, I'm a bit of a workaholic.