Underworld (film series)

Underworld tells the story of Selene (Kate Beckinsale) a Death Dealer bent on destroying the lycans who allegedly killed her family. She discovers that the lycans are pursuing a human, Michael Corvin, for experimentation; Selene captures Michael herself to find out what the lycans are up to. Along the way, Selene not only discovers a mutinous plot to destroy the vampire Elders, but also a shocking revelation about her father figure Elder, Viktor.

The vampires and lycans are not supernatural creatures, but rather the product of a mutation of the Plague.

It is revealed in the film that Alexander Corvinus is the first of the vampire and lycan lines. He was the only survivor of the plague that wiped out his village. Somehow, his body was able to mutate the pathogen, mold it to his own benefit. He had three sons, two of whom inherited their father's immortality and were bitten, one, Markus, by a bat, and the other, William, by a wolf, resulting in the vampire and werewolf lines. Corvinus's unnamed third son, who did not inherit immortality, also carried the Corvinus Strain as an exact duplicate of the original pathogen, hidden away in his genetic code and passed along to his human descendants through the centuries. This, according to Singe, is the key to creating a hybrid.

In Underworld: Evolution, Selene takes Michael to a vampire safe house and plans to return to Viktor's estate to awaken Markus, the last vampire Elder. Before she can return, Markus confronts her, having been awakened by the blood of the lycan scientist, Singe, after he was killed. Markus does not seem keen to help Selene and wishes to steal her memories for information. While on the run from Markus, Selene and Michael discover that Markus is the first vampire and that he plans to free his imprisoned brother, William, the first and most savage werewolf.

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans focuses primarily on the origins of some characters and the events leading to the vampire–lycan war, depicted in the previous films.

As shown in the film, the original werewolves were uncontrollable beasts, unable to retake human form once bitten. However, there was a single werewolf who gave birth to a human-looking child. This child carried a mutation of the original pathogen, permitting him to alternate between human and werewolf form. He was Lucian, dubbed by Viktor as "the first of the lycans".

The vampires used the lycans as slaves to be the guardians of their lairs during the daylight hours and labor during the night. However, Viktor's daughter, Sonja, and Lucian fell in love and she became pregnant. Lucian, the lycan leader, led a revolt after Viktor killed Sonja to prevent the blending of the species.

Vampire death dealer Selene, who escapes imprisonment to find herself in a world where humans have discovered the existence of both vampire and lycan clans, and are conducting an all-out war to eradicate both immortal species.[2] Selene also learns that she has a hybrid daughter born while she was imprisoned, who has the ability to see through her parents' eyes. The same goes for Selene, who has the ability to see through the child's eyes and uses it to find her daughter.

On August 27, 2014, Lakeshore Entertainment announced plans to reboot the franchise. Cory Goodman was hired to write the script for the first film. Tom Rosenberg and Gary Lucchesi would be producers.[3] Later it was confirmed not to be a reboot but another entry in the series. The fifth film, originally tentatively titled Underworld: Next Generation, was in production with Kate Beckinsale reprising her role as Selene and Anna Foerster set to direct the fifth film in Prague in October. Theo James was set to reprise his role as David from the fourth film as the new lead, but said that "[his] involvement in it is... I think it's going to be very difficult to do that with these Divergent movies, and my other commitments." James however remained in the film to fulfill an option agreement.[4][5][6] In August 2015, it was reported by Deadline Hollyeood that Tobias Menzies was cast in the film.[7][8] In September 2015, Deadline reported that Bradley James, Clementine Nicholson, and Lara Pulver were also cast.[9][10][11]

The film was released internationally on November 24, 2016, and in the United States on January 6, 2017.

In September 2018, Beckinsale cast doubt on appearing in a sixth Underworld film.[12] By July 2021, however, she stated that she was not opposed to reprising the role.[13]

A crossover with the film I, Frankenstein (2014) was planned by Kevin Grevioux, co-creator of the Underworld franchise and creator of the I, Frankenstein graphic novel. He stated in a interview that, in an early draft of his screenplay, Beckinsale would have made a post-credit cameo appearance as Selene and that there would have been Underworld easter eggs, but none of this was used.[14]

In October 2016, Kate Beckinsale stated that a crossover film between Underworld and the Blade franchise, featuring Wesley Snipes reprising his role as Blade, had been in development and discussed with Marvel Comics the previous year,[15][16] but was declined after Marvel Studios regained the film rights to the character and planned to introduce him into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.[17]

In October 2016, producer David Kern revealed that a crossover film with the Resident Evil film series had been considered.[17]

Underworld: Endless War is a 2011 animated film, which includes three individual short films beginning in 1890 and leading up to the events of Underworld: Awakening. The film follows Selene as she hunts down a group of three lycan brothers in three separate time periods.

IDW Publishing has published a number of Underworld comics, which included adaptations of Underworld, Underworld: Evolution, and Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, and the original Underworld: Red in Tooth and Claw, serving as a prequel to Underworld featuring the character Lucian.[45] Darkstorm Comics also published an adaptation of Underworld: Blood Wars.

Pocket Star Books published novelizations of Underworld, Underworld: Evolution, and Underworld: Rise of the Lycans' written by Greg Cox, in addition to an original novel by Cox titled Underworld: Blood Enemy; written before Evolution, it depicts an alternate origin to the war, based on such details as Sonja's initial portrayal as a blonde in flashbacks.

A Half-Life mod titled Underworld: Bloodline was released in 2003.[46] A action game based on the first film titled Underworld: The Eternal War was scheduled for release on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox consoles in 2004, but it only saw release for the PlayStation 2 in Europe, and was cancelled in all other regions.[47]