Riddick will have to contend with Katee Sackhoff and Jordi Molla

After the production hit some financial turbulence a couple of months ago, the third RIDDICK movie is back on the launch pad and is currently collecting various humans for the intergalactic badass to potentially kill (or at least manipulate).

As was rumored toward the end of 2011, actress Katee Sackhoff (best known as Starbuck on “Battlestar Galactica”) will hunt the smooth-headed felon as a sexy-tough mercenary named Dahl.

Joining Sackhoff on the search for Riddick’s head is Spanish actor/villain virtuoso Jordi Molla, who has already baddened up BAD BOYS II, COLOMBIANA and KNIGHT & DAY. Molla, who will play a mouthy merc named Santana, was also recently in the running to play the bad guy in STAR TREK 2 (a role that went to “Sherlock” star Benedict Cumberbatch).

Karl Urban will also be back as Necromonger Vaako (although no confirmation yet on  Bokeem Woodbine and WWE star Dave Bautista, previously named as being among the bounty hunters). The production is gearing up now with writer-director David Twohy, so more casting announcements should be forthcoming.

The synopsis: “Betrayed by his own kind and left for dead on a desolate planet, Riddick (Diesel) fights for survival against alien predators and becomes more powerful and dangerous than ever before. Soon bounty hunters from throughout the galaxy descend on Riddick only to find themselves pawns in his greater scheme for revenge. With his enemies right where he wants them, Riddick unleashes a vicious attack of vengeance before returning to his home planet of Furya to save it from destruction.”