xXx 4 Adds Green Hornet’s Jay Chou

Actor and Asian pop superstar Jay Chou has signed on to star opposite Vin Diesel in the upcoming (and presently untitled) xXx 4.

Chou, originally from Taiwan, has been the recipient of four World Music Awards and appeared on the wide-release soundtracks for films such as The Green Hornet, Now You See Me 2, and Kung Fu Panda 3. He even starred in The Green Hornet, across from Seth Rogen (who portrayed the titular masked crimefighter), as his faithful valet Kato – a role once played in the Sixties by a young Bruce Lee. Known as ‘The King of Mandopop’, Jay Chou has also been a mentor for the past two seasons on China’s version of hit singing contest television show The Voice.

Vin Diesel will reprise his fan-favourite role as extreme-sports-junkie-turned-super-spy Xander Cage for the feature, which will be a sequel to 2017’s xXx: Return of Xander Cage. That film has cumulatively scored almost $1 billion internationally, including – crucially – $168 million in China.

Production is expected to begin in mid-2019 on the feature, which will also be partially funded by the Middle Kingdom. DJ Caruso will direct from a script by Rich Wilkes. No release date has yet been set.