Well at least it's not Ice Cube

 

"XXX: The Return of Xander Cage", the third film in the spy action franchise started in 2002, has left Sony Pictures and has re-emerged over at Paramount who are in negotiations to finance, produce and release the film says Deadline New York.

 

John Brancato and Michael Ferris ("Terminator Salvation") penned the script which involves Xander Cage, the extreme sports athlete-turned-government operative from the first film, returning to the National Security Agency after an eight-year absence to work on a dangerous assignment only he can pull off.

 

As previously reported Vin Diesel is reprising the role of Cage, Samuel L. Jackson will return as his handler Agent Augustus Gibbons, and the first film's director Rob Cohen will helm. Ericson Core ("Invincible") was briefly attached to direct last year but that's seemingly no longer the case.

 

Cohen plans to shoot the film with 3D cameras and a late 2011 or early 2012 release date is being targeted.

I never watched the second one, but didn't they say that he died to explain him not being in the second one?

Can't remember.  I tried to block out the second one as much as possible.