With production set to begin later this month on XXX: The Return of Xander Cage, the cast is starting to fill out. The Hollywood Reporter reveals that Nina Dobrev (The Vampire Diaries) and Ruby Rose (Orange Is the New Black) are in varying stages of negotiations to join the cast of this sequel. We reported earlier this week that martial arts legends Tony Jaa and Jet Li, along with UFC fighter Conor McGregor, have come aboard to star, but they weren't mentioned in this latest report.

The story is rumored to center on original xXx star Vin Diesel's character, Xander Cage, who surrounds himself with "sexy badasses and comic relief players." The idea is that this franchise will be resurrected in the same way as his Fast & Furious franchise was brought back to life, with Xander Cage leading a new team. The cast also includes original xXx star Samuel L. Jackson, returning as Gibbons, head of the National Security Agency (NSA) and Bollywood star Deepika Padukone as the female lead.

This project will be Deepika Padukone's first ever American production. Vin Diesel originally wanted to bring her on board for a role in last year's blockbuster Furious 7, but she had to turn down the part due to prior commitments. Deepika Padukone is playing a "huntress" who is also Xander Cage's former lover. Nina Dobrev is portraying a witty and sarcastic tech specialist, while Ruby Rose is playing a sniper.

D.J. Caruso (The Disapppointments Room) is directing from a script by F. Scott Frazier (The Numbers Station), with Vin Diesel producing alongside his sister Samantha Vincent, Jeff Kirschenbaum and Joe Roth. Production is scheduled to take place in Toronto and the Philippines. The sequel doesn't have a distributor yet, but several sources claim that Paramount Pictures will be the franchise's new home.

Nina Dobrev recently parted ways with The CW series The Vampire Diaries, after starring in the first six seasons. On the big screen, she most recently starred in The Final Girls, and she will next be seen in Crash Pad and Arrivals. Ruby Rose is best known for playing Stella Carlin on the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black, and she will next be seen on the big screen in John Wick 2 and Resident Evil: The Final Chapter.