Veteran producers Sid Ganis, Nancy Hult Ganis, Mark Johnson, Joe Roth and Jeff Kirschenbaum have teamed up to form The H Collective, a new film financing, production, marketing and distribution company, the producers announced Monday.

The lead project on the new company’s slate is a fourth sequel to Vin Diesel’s “xXx” action franchise following Paramount’s January release of “xXx: Return of Xander Cage,” which grossed $346 million worldwide.

The H Collective will finance the new film, which will be produced by Roth and Kirschenbaum, and acquire all rights excluding TV and U.S. theme park rights.

The H Collective and Vin Diesel/One Race Films have acquired rights to the xXx franchise from Revolution Studios, and Diesel will reprise his role as Xander Cage in the fourth installment that will go before cameras in December 2018. D.J. Caruso, who helmed last year’s xXx: Return of Xander Cage, is returning as director.

Under the deal, Revolution Studios retains rights to the first three films which have collectively grossed nearly $1 billion worldwide. The franchise, however, has been steadily losing audiences domestically. Xander Cage only opened to $20.1M in its debut weekend in January last year and ran out of gas at $44.8M. The first xXx opened 2002 and hauled in $142.1M domestically.

In China, Diesel’s return to the franchise after Ice Cube starred in the interim was welcome news. China accounting for the bulk of Xander Cage‘s $69.3M overseas debut, so, it’s no wonder why Chinese-backed The H Collective would be interested in the franchise. In fact, the actioner ended up as the biggest three-day opening for a Hollywood film that bowed in a February and also the second-biggest Imax February debut in China (behind The Monkey King 2).

Xander Cage was tailor-made for international audiences and cast accordingly with Chinese star Donnie Yen featured prominently in ads in China.

For the fourth installment of xXx, Joe Roth and Jeff Kirschenbaum will again produce with Diesel and Samantha Vincent for One Race Films and The H Collective.

The H Collective will finance xXx 4 with investment partners that include Sparkle Roll Media, HCH Media, Dadi Cinema and Angeleno Studio. It is currently in production on an untitled horror film being produced by James Gunn and starring Elizabeth Banks. It’s also in post on Christopher Cantwell’s The Parts You Lose.

The H Collective launched in June of last year on the news there would be a fourth xXx movie. The company came about when it pacted with the producer team of Sid Ganis and Nancy Hult Ganis, producer Mark Johnson, and Roth and Kirschenbaum. The goal has been to finance and/or produce four projects a year over the next four years, with the fourth installment of xXx at its slate’s centerpiece.

The H Collective also recently formed a management arm with Chinese stars Li Bingbing and Karry Wang among the firm’s first talent. The company also has an exclusive partnership with Beijing Culture, an entertainment conglomerate in China.

Diesel is repped by CAA and Brillstein Entertainment Partners; Caruso is repped by CAA and Media Talent Group.

Jay Chou Joins Vin Diesel in 'xXx 4'
12:37 AM PST 11/21/2018 by Patrick Brzeski

Taiwanese pop star-turned-actor Jay Chou is teaming up with Vin Diesel to co-star in the upcoming fourth installment of the xXx franchise, which is to be directed by D.J. Caruso.

Known as the “King of Mandopop," Chou is a huge draw across Asia as a pop signer and beloved personality. But U.S. viewers will know him best for his transition to acting in features such as The Green Hornet with Seth Rogen, or in Jon Chu's action-comedy Now You See Me 2.

"This is an incredibly exciting film, which I’m beyond happy to join," Chou said in a statement.

xXx 4 will be produced and financed by growing mini studio The H Collective, with backing from investment partners including Jackie Chan's Sparkle Roll Media, iQiyi Pictures, Dadi Huarui, Star League Media and Fulcrum Management Co.

Together with Vin Diesel and his One Race Films Banner, The H Collective acquired the rights to the xXx franchise from Revolution Studios earlier this year.

The heavy Chinese investment participation in the film is no surprise considering that xXx: The Return of Xander Cage earned $168 million of its $346 million worldwide total at the Chinese box office last year. Thanks to The Fast and the Furious franchise, Diesel is one of the best-known Hollywood stars in the Middle Kingdom.

"We are very excited to be working on the fourth installment of xXx, which has always been such a fun, action-packed, global franchise," said The H Collective CEO Nic Crawley. "We are looking to build a well-rounded international cast and introduce bold new characters that are sure to have longevity in the continued franchise."

Chinese actress Zoe Zhang (Chinese Zodiac), a frequent collaborator of Jackie Chan, also has joined the film's international cast.

Joe Roth and Jeff Kirschenbaum are producing with Diesel and Samantha Vincent for One Race Films. The film is scheduled to begin shooting in 2019.