New Delhi, Aug 28 (IANS): Actor-director Vin Diesel, who earlier refused to be a part of the "XXX" sequel, gave a nod to the film after working in "Riddick".

The 46-year-old confessed that it is because of "Riddick" that he became confident to take forward another "XXX" franchise, which will make its comeback after almost a decade.

"XXX", pronounced "Triple X", is a 2002 US action film directed by Rob Cohen. It starred Vin Diesel as Xander Cage, a thrill seeking extreme sports enthusiast, stuntman and rebellious extreme sport athlete-turned-reluctant spy for the National Security Agency.

It also starred actors Asia Argento, Samuel L. Jackson, and Marton Csokas.

While shooting for "Riddick", Diesel was approached by the "XXX" director for a sequel of the movie, which he flatly refused to be a part of.

As the third part of "Riddick" progressed, Diesel’s confidence grew. While wrapping up the film, the "Fast And Furious 7" star actually called Cohen and finally gave the nod to the sequel which kickstarts this year.

The sequel to "XXX" will be the actor's third association with a franchise, the other two being "Riddick" and "Fast and Furious".