Fans of the outlaw science fiction character Riddick got a huge surprise on Friday when the franchise's star, Vin Diesel, revealed that a fourth sequel is now in the works.

Posting the news on his Instagram account, Diesel confirmed that the new film will be called Furia, which is also the name of the home planet of Riddick.

In addition to the sequel (or prequel?), Diesel also confirmed that a Chronicles of Riddick spinoff for television called Merc City is also coming.

"Last night Our company had a party to launch Our TV division," wrote Diesel. "Very exciting. MERC CITY is a show that will follow the Mercs and Bounty Hunters of the Riddick Universe. Next Month, DT begins writing the next Chapter in the Chronicles of Riddick... FURIA."

Last night Our company had a party to launch Our TV division. Very exciting. MERC CITY is a show that will follow the Mercs and Bounty Hunters of the Riddick Universe. Next Month, DT begins writing the next Chapter in the Chronicles of Riddick... FURIA. #HappyFurianFriday A photo posted by Vin Diesel (@vindiesel) on Nov 20, 2015 at 10:18am PST

For those unfamiliar with Riddick lore, "merc" is the term the franchise uses for the mercenaries who chase Riddick throughout the universe looking to cash in on the price on his head. The "DT" Diesel mentions refers to David Twohy, the writer and director of all three Riddick films, Pitch Black (2000), The Chronicles of Riddick (2004) and Riddick (2013).

And while Diesel made no mention of his co-stars for the sequel, on Instagram he did include a photo of Judi Dench, who appeared in the 2004 installment of the franchise.

Although nowhere near as successful as science fiction franchises like Star Wars (Riddick grossed about $98 million worldwide), over the years the franchise, led by Diesel's portrayal of the character of Riddick, has gained a cult following, leading to video games and fan fiction.

No release dates have been announced for either the film or the television series.