Previously announced as a remake of hit title The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay with added content, Atari can today reveal that The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena contains a brand new full-length campaign. This exciting announcement promises a title which will include the original game re-imagined for a whole new audience, an entirely new chapter in the Riddick saga and, for the first time, intense online multiplayer combat, making The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena a must-have experience for any fan of intense action gaming.

“It’s very exciting to have Assault on Dark Athena as part of Atari’s 2009 publishing line-up,” said Phil Harrison, President of Infogrames Entertainment, the parent company of Atari. “The first game in the series was a landmark in action gaming and the outstanding team at Starbreeze are creating a feature-packed follow-up which will delight fans and new players alike.”

“The Riddick IP offers a rich universe from which to develop no-holds barred games, and we’ve believed that since the days of the Pitch Black film,” said Bill Kispert, Vice President and General Manager, Interactive, Universal Pictures Digital Platforms Group. “Assault on Dark Athena extends the franchise fiction; adds to the mythology with new storylines, characters and locations while remaining true to the original material; and gives fans an experience they haven’t seen before. As we introduce this new Riddick chapter, we are also excited to welcome Atari to the Riddick family.”

“We’re thrilled about this remake and expansion of Escape from Butcher Bay." said Ian Stevens, Head of Game Production, Tigon Studios. "Assault on Dark Athena tells a new story in The Chronicles of Riddick, while at the same time sharing our original vision with a larger audience. We’re excited about the coming months and talking more in-depth about new features like the addition of Multiplayer!”

“Working with the Riddick franchise for us is an extraordinary experience,” said Johan Kristiansson, CEO, Starbreeze Studios. “We are deeply enthusiastic about the partnership with Atari that will bring this rich game experience to a new generation of consoles. With this release we've pushed the limits of the Starbreeze engine, delivering an extensive game package designed to thrill gamers worldwide. We can't wait for it to hit the shelves.”

In The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena the player takes the role of Riddick, as played by Vin Diesel, using stealth and action to overcome the merciless crew of the predatory Merc-ship Dark Athena which awaits its prey in the dark reaches of space. Cheating death through a series of spectacular battles and events, Riddick will fight for his life amid a storm of malevolence and horror. The Chronicles of Riddick series of games takes the player deeper into the universe of Universal Pictures' films The Chronicles of Riddick and cult classic Pitch Black, which first introduced Vin Diesel as enigmatic anti-hero Riddick.

Featuring a brand new exhilarating adventure, a high-definition re-imagining of the classic Escape from Butcher Bay campaign and new multiplayer options, The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena will thrill fans when it launches in spring 2009.

The Chronicles of Riddick was released in 2004 by Universal Pictures, in association with Radar Pictures and One Race Productions, Vin Diesel reprised his star-making Pitch Black role of enigmatic anti-hero Richard B. Riddick in this science fiction action-adventure epic,. The Chronicles of Riddick also starred Colm Feore, Alexa Davalos, Karl Urban, Linus Roache, Thandie Newton and Dame Judi Dench.

In the film’s storyline, Riddick has spent the last five years on the move among the forgotten worlds on the outskirts of the galaxy, eluding mercenaries bent on collecting the price on his head. Now, the fugitive finds himself on planet Helion, home to a progressive multicultural society that has been invaded by the Lord Marshal, a despot who targets humans for subjugation with his army of warriors known as Necromongers.

Exiled to a subterranean prison where extremes of temperature range from arctic nights to volcanic days, Riddick encounters Kyra, the lone survivor from an earlier chapter in his life. His efforts to free himself and Kyra lead him to the Necromonger command ship, where he is pitted against the Lord Marshal in an apocalyptic battle with possibly the fate of all beings-both living and dead-hanging in the balance.

Written and directed by David Twohy, The Chronicles of Riddick was produced by Scott Kroopf and Vin Diesel. Ted Field, George Zakk and David Womark served as executive producers.