Synopsis

After an attack on the National Security Agency, imprisoned operative Darius Stone is recruited into the xXx program. Sent to Washington, D.C., he uncovers a conspiracy involving military leaders who intend to overthrow the president. With limited support and a dangerous enemy inside the government, Stone must use his combat skills and street instincts to stop the coup before it succeeds.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film changes the series' lead agent rather than continuing with Xander Cage. Ice Cube plays Darius Stone, another operative in the xXx program, while Augustus Gibbons remains a connecting character from the first film.

• Vin Diesel and Rob Cohen were originally attached to return for the sequel, but both eventually left the project. Diesel reportedly disliked the screenplay.

• Two competing sequel concepts were developed. One involved pirates in Southeast Asia, while the selected story was set in Washington, D.C. and centered on a political coup.

• The sports car used in the film was covered with interference-pigment paint, a special finish designed to appear to change color from different viewing angles.

• Morse code can be heard repeatedly in the music during the early NSA break-in material. The code spells out "XXX 2."

• The film was released in the United States on April 29, 2005. It was marketed under alternate titles including "xXx2: The Next Level" and "XXX: State of Emergency" in some international territories.

• A short film titled "The Final Chapter: The Death of Xander Cage" was included with a later director's-cut DVD of the original "xXx." It was created to explain the apparent absence of Cage from this sequel.