"Pitch Black was made for $23 million, which is about how much Diesel demands per flick these days. While it's debatable whether he deserves it, what isn't debatable is that director David Twohy got his money's worth. The mysterious planet (in reality, the Australian desert) had a distinct, spooky look. The film owed a few debts to Aliens, but was still stylish enough that people didn't mind. The $39 million box office for the film was impressive, given its moderate release (1,800 theaters, as opposed to 4,100 for Spider-Man) and R rating."