Hulking meat machine Vin Diesel will (again) star in THE WHEELMAN, based on the recent videogame developed by his own company (also responsible for the excellent RIDDICK game). The Paramount flick will be directed by John Singleton, who got some automotive action experience on 2 FAST 2 FURIOUS… which, coincidentally, Diesel skipped.
The hardcore gamer loaned his likeness, voice and creative input to the WHEELMAN game, which involves an ace driver/undercover cop stomping the accelerator, “borrowing” vehicles and crashing them into/through things at high velocity in Barcelona.
Originally the game and movie were being simultaneously developed for seamless cross-promotional harmony, but company restructuring bounced the title to a new publisher. The game was released in March and has sold reasonably well despite a critical pounding.