Before he starts shooting Fast & Furious 8 in the near future, action icon Vin Diesel is finishing production on XXX: The Return of Xander Cage. While it isn't ultimately clear when filming will wrap, the star recently shared a new video and photo from the set through his Facebook page, which gives us our first look at Samuel L. Jackson, reprising his role from 2002's xXx as Augustus Gibbons. Both the photo and video were taken at what appear to be a church set, but we don't have too many details about the scene being shot.

The actors did share a unique story about how they first met, while Vin Diesel was shooting Saving Private Ryan and Samuel L. Jackson was shooting Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, at a sushi restaurant no less. Samuel L. Jackson also joked that he was only doing this movie so he could take back his title as box office king, which Harrison Ford took from him after the massive Star Wars: The Force Awakens hit theaters. For several years, Samuel L. Jackson's movies had made the most of any actor at the box office, but Star Wars: The Force Awakens helped put Harrison Ford on top.

XXX: The Return of Xander Cage is the third explosive chapter of the blockbuster franchise that redefined the spy thriller finds extreme athlete turned government operative Xander Cage (Vin Diesel) coming out of self-imposed exile and on a collision course with deadly alpha warrior Xiang and his team in a race to recover a sinister and seemingly unstoppable weapon known as Pandora's Box. Recruiting an all-new group of thrill-seeking cohorts, Xander finds himself enmeshed in a deadly conspiracy that points to collusion at the highest levels of world governments. Packed with the series' signature deadpan wit and bad-ass attitude, xXx: The Return of Xander Cage will raise the bar on extreme action with some of the most mind-blowing stunts to ever be caught on film.

Vin Diesel and Samuel L. Jackson will be joined by a supporting cast that includes Deepika Padukone, Nina Dobrev, Ruby Rose, Donnie Yen and Conor McGregor. D.J. Caruso (I Am Number Four) is directing xXx: The Return of Xander Cage. The film is written by Chad St. John (London Has Fallen) with current revisions by F. Scott Frazier (Collide).

We reported in February that Paramount Pictures had set a January 20, 2017 release date for XXX: The Return of Xander Cage, which will have plenty of competition when it hits theaters. The action sequel will be facing EuropaCorp's action-thriller The Lake, starring Sullivan Stapleton, and Universal's horror-thriller Split, starring James McAvoy. There are also four high-profile movies opening one week prior on January 13. Sony will debut the long-awaited adaptation The Dark Tower, with Paramount's Friday the 13th, Warner Bros.' Geostorm and Paramount's Monster Trucks also opening on that date. Take a look at the latest XXX: The Return of Xander Cage set photo below, along with more images the actor has posted recently, and visit Vin Diesel's Facebook page to check out the new video.

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