Diesel elaborated, “Something about that comment made me think, bless their heart, and if I can do anything with this newfound success, if I could do anything at all, I could deliver on that wish.”
The end result of that drive, he says, was a film unlike anything he’s done over the past 10 years — one in which he not only worked closely on the tiniest of details with writer-director David Twohy, but also challenged the film’s other actors and actresses to think more deeply about how to develop their own characters.
And though Riddick has received mixed reviews from critics, the film managed to land a respectable Cinemascore of B, showing audiences largely approve of Diesel’s efforts and spurring forward his plans to create no less than two more sequels for the franchise.
4. Invest in what you know.
Finally, as investing great Peter Lynch often says, “Invest in what you know.”
In this case, Diesel was willing to put his possessions and reputation at stake largely thanks to the fact he knows nothing better than producing, filming, and starring in big-budget action movies.
After all, Sony Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:SNE) Pictures’ XXX brought in $277.4 million worldwide on a production budget of just $70 million in 2002, and the four Fast & Furious films in which Diesel appeared collectively grossed more than $1.98 billion in box office receipts for Universal.
More pertinent to Riddick, I can understand big-name studios’ apprehension considering its predecessor in Chronicles brought in just $115.7 at the box office, which barely exceeded its $105 million production budget and caused it to rely largely on digital and physical media sales later on. The first film of the franchise, Pitch Black, however, was ultimately viewed as a box office success for bringing in $53.2 million on a budget of just $23 million.
In the end, Diesel arguably knew better than anyone that if he could simply do what he does best in creating another fun-to-watch action flick, while at the same time keeping his budget reasonably low, his chances of succeeding were high.
Foolish takeaway
In the end, think what you will about Vin Diesel, but I’m convinced his personal involvement in bringing Riddick to the big screen effectively illustrates many of the telltale signs of a great investor.
Better yet, his investment should pay dividends down the road even after Riddick exits theaters, especially considering Americans reportedly spend nearly 34 hours a week watching television!
The article 4 Investing Lessons You Can Learn From Vin Diesel’s “Riddick” originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Steve Symington.
Fool contributor Steve Symington has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned.
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