''Underworld'' is a series of
dark fantasy
Dark fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy literary, artistic, and cinematic works that incorporate disturbing and frightening themes of fantasy. It often combines fantasy with elements of horror or has a gloomy dark tone or a sense of horror and dr ...
action horror
Action film is a film genre in which the protagonist is thrust into a series of events that typically involve violence and physical feats. The genre tends to feature a mostly resourceful hero struggling against incredible odds, which include life ...
films created by
Len Wiseman
Len Ryan Wiseman (born March 4, 1973) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for his work on the ''Underworld'' series, '' Live Free or Die Hard'', and the 2012 film '' Total Recall''. Wiseman runs the production company Sketch Films.
Earl ...
,
Kevin Grevioux
Kevin Grevioux (; born September 9, 1962) is an American actor, screenwriter, director, and comic book writer. He is best known for his role as Raze in the ''Underworld'' film series, which he co-created, as well as his voicework in the cartoon ...
, and
Danny McBride
Daniel Richard McBride (born December 29, 1976) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter and producer. He starred in the HBO television series ''Eastbound & Down'', '' Vice Principals'', and ''The Righteous Gemstones'', also co-creating th ...
, that follows characters who are caught up in a war between
vampire
A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mi ...
s and
werewolves
In folklore, a werewolf (), or occasionally lycanthrope (; ; uk, Вовкулака, Vovkulaka), is an individual that can shapeshift into a wolf (or, especially in modern film, a therianthropic hybrid wolf-like creature), either purposely ...
(called "lycans" within the films). Most of the movies star
Kate Beckinsale
Kathrin Romany Beckinsale (born 26 July 1973) is an English actress and model. After some minor television roles, her film debut was ''Much Ado About Nothing'' (1993) while a student at the University of Oxford. She appeared in British costume ...
as the protagonist,
Selene
In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Selene (; grc-gre, Σελήνη , meaning "Moon"''A Greek–English Lexicon's.v. σελήνη) is the goddess and the personification of the Moon. Also known as Mene, she is traditionally the daughter o ...
, based on the
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
character of the same name. The first film, ''
Underworld
The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underworld.
...
'', was released in 2003; it introduces Selene, an elite vampire-warrior who defies her orders, and Michael Corvin (
Scott Speedman
Robert Scott Speedman (born September 1, 1975) is a British-Canadian actor. He is known for portraying Ben Covington in the coming-of-age drama television series '' Felicity'', Lycan–Vampire hybrid Michael Corvin in the gothic horror–actio ...
), a human who gets caught up in the war. The second film, ''
Underworld: Evolution'' (released in 2006) follows Selene and Michael as they are hunted by their enemies. The third film, ''
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans'' (2009), is the
prequel
A prequel is a literary, dramatic or cinematic work whose story precedes that of a previous work, by focusing on events that occur before the original narrative. A prequel is a work that forms part of a backstory to the preceding work.
The term " ...
to the series, chronicling the origins of the vampire-lycan war. The fourth film, ''
Underworld: Awakening'' (2012) is the sequel to ''Underworld: Evolution''. In this film, humans have discovered the existence of vampires and lycans, and are trying to eradicate both species. A final film, titled ''
Underworld: Blood Wars'', was released internationally on November 24, 2016, and in the United States on January 6, 2017.
The series received generally negative reviews from critics, but amassed a strong fan following and grossed a total of $539 million, against a combined budget of $207 million.
Films
''Underworld'' (2003)
''Underworld'' tells the story of
Selene
In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Selene (; grc-gre, Σελήνη , meaning "Moon"''A Greek–English Lexicon's.v. σελήνη) is the goddess and the personification of the Moon. Also known as Mene, she is traditionally the daughter o ...
(
Kate Beckinsale
Kathrin Romany Beckinsale (born 26 July 1973) is an English actress and model. After some minor television roles, her film debut was ''Much Ado About Nothing'' (1993) while a student at the University of Oxford. She appeared in British costume ...
) 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 name Victor or Viktor may refer to:
* Victor (name), including a list of people with the given name, mononym, or surname
Arts and entertainment
Film
* ''Victor'' (1951 film), a French drama film
* ''Victor'' (1993 film), a French shor ...
.
The
vampires
A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mischief or deaths ...
and
lycans are not supernatural creatures, but rather the product of a mutation of the
Plague
Plague or The Plague may refer to:
Agriculture, fauna, and medicine
*Plague (disease), a disease caused by ''Yersinia pestis''
* An epidemic of infectious disease (medical or agricultural)
* A pandemic caused by such a disease
* A swarm of pe ...
.
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
In biology, a pathogen ( el, πάθος, "suffering", "passion" and , "producer of") in the oldest and broadest sense, is any organism or agent that can produce disease. A pathogen may also be referred to as an infectious agent, or simply a germ ...
, 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.
''Underworld: Evolution'' (2006)
In ''Underworld: Evolution'', Selene takes Michael to a vampire safe house and plans to return to Viktor's estate to awaken
Markus Marcus, Markus, Márkus or Mărcuș may refer to:
* Marcus (name), a masculine given name
* Marcus (praenomen), a Roman personal name
Places
* Marcus, a main belt asteroid, also known as (369088) Marcus 2008 GG44
* Mărcuş, a village in Dobârl ...
, 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
William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...
, the first and most savage werewolf.
''Underworld: Rise of the Lycans'' (2009)
''Underworld: Rise of the Lycans'' is a 2009 American film directed by
Patrick Tatopoulos
Patrick Tatopoulos (born September 25, 1957) is a Greek- French production designer and director who lives and works in the United States. His designs have appeared in numerous motion pictures, including '' Pitch Black'', ''Underworld'', ''I, Ro ...
. It is the third installment (chronologically the first) in the ''Underworld'' series, focusing primarily on the origins of some characters and the events leading to the vampirelycan war, depicted in the previous films ''
Underworld
The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underworld.
...
'' and ''
Underworld: Evolution''.
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.
''Underworld: Awakening'' (2012)
A fourth film, entitled ''Awakening'', shot in
3D, was directed by
Måns Mårlind
Måns Magnus Mårlind (born 29 July 1969) is a Swedish director and screenwriter. After making his feature film debut in 2005, he co-directed the big-budget horror films ''Shelter'' (2010) and '' Underworld: Awakening'' (2012) and co-created t ...
and Björn Stein and released on January 20, 2012.
Kate Beckinsale
Kathrin Romany Beckinsale (born 26 July 1973) is an English actress and model. After some minor television roles, her film debut was ''Much Ado About Nothing'' (1993) while a student at the University of Oxford. She appeared in British costume ...
reprises her role as
Selene
In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Selene (; grc-gre, Σελήνη , meaning "Moon"''A Greek–English Lexicon's.v. σελήνη) is the goddess and the personification of the Moon. Also known as Mene, she is traditionally the daughter o ...
and
screenwriter
A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based.
...
John Hlavin stated prior to the film's release that it will not be like any of the previous films. Production began in March 2011 in Vancouver with Tom Rosenberg, Gary Lucchesi, and Len Wiseman producing. On April 4, 2011, the title of the film was announced and the following plot synopsis was given:
Kate Beckinsale, star of the first two films, returns in her lead role as the 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.
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 several times in the movie.
''Underworld: Blood Wars'' (2016)
On August 27, 2014,
Lakeshore Entertainment
Lakeshore Entertainment Group, LLC is an American independent film production, finance, and former international sales and distribution company founded in 1994 by Tom Rosenberg and Ted Tannebaum (1933–2002). Lakeshore Entertainment is headquart ...
announced plans to reboot the franchise. Cory Goodman was hired to write the script for the first film.
Tom Rosenberg
Tom B. Rosenberg (1947/1948) is an American film producer, co-founder of Beacon Pictures; and founder and chairman of Lakeshore Entertainment. He is a recipient of the 2004 Academy Award for Best Picture for the film '' Million Dollar Baby''.
...
and
Gary Lucchesi
Gary Lucchesi (born January 4, 1955 in San Francisco, California) is an American film producer who is President of Lakeshore Entertainment and past President of The Producers Guild of America.
Career
Lucchesi began his career at The William M ...
would be producers. 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
Kathrin Romany Beckinsale (born 26 July 1973) is an English actress and model. After some minor television roles, her film debut was ''Much Ado About Nothing'' (1993) while a student at the University of Oxford. She appeared in British costume ...
reprising her role as Selene and
Anna Foerster
Anna J. Foerster (born 1971) is a German-born American film and television cinematographer and director. She is best known for collaborations with director Roland Emmerich, working under different capacities on every film directed by him dating ...
set to direct the fifth film in
Prague
Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...
in October.
Theo James
Theo is a given name and a hypocorism.
Greek origin
Many names beginning with the root "Theo-" derive from the Ancient Greek word ''theos'' (''θεός''), which means god, for example:
*Feminine names: Thea, Theodora, Theodosia, Theophania, ...
was set to reprise his role as
David
David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
from the fourth film as the new lead, but said that "
isinvolvement 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. It was announced by
''Deadline'' that
Tobias Menzies
Tobias Simpson Menzies (born 7 March 1974) is an English stage, television and film actor. He is known for playing Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in the third and fourth seasons of Netflix's series ''The Crown'', for which he won the Primetime ...
was cast as
Marius, a mysterious new lycan leader who'd more than likely go toe-to-toe with Selene and her vampire clan. In September 2015, Deadline reported that
Bradley James was hired as the villain Varga, Clementine Nicholson as
Lena
Lena or LENA may refer to:
Places
* Léna Department, a department of Houet Province in Burkina Faso
* Lena, Manitoba, an unincorporated community located in Killarney-Turtle Mountain municipality in Manitoba, Canada
* Lena, Norway, a village in ...
(the Nordic Coven's greatest warrior and daughter of Vidar), and
Lara Pulver
Lara Pulver (born 1 September 1980) is an English actress. She has played Erin Watts in the BBC spy drama '' Spooks'' and Irene Adler on BBC's TV adaptation '' Sherlock''. She won the 2016 Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical i ...
as
Semira.
The film was released internationally on November 24, 2016, and in the United States on January 6, 2017.
Future
In September 2018, Beckinsale cast doubt on appearing in a sixth ''Underworld'' film. By July 2021 however, she stated that she was not opposed to reprising the role.
Cancelled projects
''I, Frankenstein'' crossover
In 2014, a
crossover
Crossover may refer to:
Entertainment
Albums and songs
* ''Cross Over'' (Dan Peek album)
* ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987
* ''Crossover'' (Intrigue album)
* ''Crossover'' (Hitomi Shimatani album)
* ''Crossover'' (Yoshino ...
with the film ''
I, Frankenstein
''I, Frankenstein'' is a 2014 American science fantasy action film written and directed by Stuart Beattie, based on the digital-only graphic novel by Kevin Grevioux. An international co-production between the United States and Australia, the fi ...
'' was planned by Kevin Grevioux, co-creator of the ''Underworld'' franchise and creator of the ''I, Frankenstein'' graphic novel. He stated in a pre-release 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 egg
Easter eggs, also called Paschal eggs, are eggs that are decorated for the Christian feast of Easter, which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus. As such, Easter eggs are common during the season of Eastertide (Easter season). The oldest tr ...
s, but none of this was used.
''Blade'' crossover
In October 2016,
Kate Beckinsale
Kathrin Romany Beckinsale (born 26 July 1973) is an English actress and model. After some minor television roles, her film debut was ''Much Ado About Nothing'' (1993) while a student at the University of Oxford. She appeared in British costume ...
stated that a crossover film between ''Underworld'' and the
''Blade'' franchise, featuring
Wesley Snipes
Wesley Trent Snipes (born July 31, 1962) is an American actor, film producer, and martial artist. His prominent film roles include '' Major League'' (1989), ''New Jack City'' (1991), ''White Men Can't Jump'' (1992), ''Passenger 57'' (1992), '' R ...
reprising his role as
Blade
A blade is the portion of a tool, weapon, or machine with an edge that is designed to puncture, chop, slice or scrape surfaces or materials. Blades are typically made from materials that are harder than those they are to be used on. Historic ...
, had been in development and discussed with Marvel the previous year, but was declined after
Marvel Studios
Marvel Studios, LLC (originally known as Marvel Films from 1993 to 1996) is an American film and television production company that is a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, a division of the Walt Disney Company. Marvel Studios produces the Mar ...
regained the film rights to the character and planned to introduce the character into the
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published by ...
(MCU).
''Resident Evil'' crossover
In 2016, producer David Kern revealed that a crossover film with the ''Resident Evil'' film series had also been considered.
Short films
''Underworld: Endless War'' (2011)
''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.
Television
In October 2014, Wiseman announced plans to expand the film series into a franchise with the possibility of spin-offs in addition to a television series.
In January 2016, the filmmaker confirmed that he is still developing the series though there is no timetable for when it will debut. He stated that the series will explore characters that tie into the film series.
The series officially entered development in September 2017. Wiseman was announced to return to the franchise as
executive producer
Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights o ...
. The filmmaker stated that the series will be a "pretty big departure from the films", specifying that the tone and character of the show will be different. The series will be a joint-venture production between
Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television Inc. (abbreviated as SPT) is an American television production and distribution studio. Based at the Sony Pictures Studios complex in Culver City, it is a division of Sony Entertainment's unit Sony Pictures Entertainm ...
,
Screen Gems
Screen Gems is an American brand name used by Sony Pictures' Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group, a subsidiary of Japanese multinational conglomerate, Sony Group Corporation. It has served several different purposes for its parent ...
, Sketch Films,
Lakeshore Entertainment
Lakeshore Entertainment Group, LLC is an American independent film production, finance, and former international sales and distribution company founded in 1994 by Tom Rosenberg and Ted Tannebaum (1933–2002). Lakeshore Entertainment is headquart ...
, and
20th Century Television.
Recurring cast and characters
* A indicates the actor portrayed the role of a younger version of the character.
* An indicates a role as an older version of the character.
* A indicates the actor or actress lent only his or her voice for his or her film character.
* A indicates a cameo appearance
A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly eit ...
.
* An indicates an appearance through archival footage.
* A dark gray cell indicates the character was not in the film.
Additional crew and production details
Development
In September 2003, shortly after the release of ''Underworld'', production companies
Screen Gems
Screen Gems is an American brand name used by Sony Pictures' Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group, a subsidiary of Japanese multinational conglomerate, Sony Group Corporation. It has served several different purposes for its parent ...
and Lakeshore planned to release a prequel as the third film following ''Underworld''s sequel, ''Underworld: Evolution''.
Kate Beckinsale
Kathrin Romany Beckinsale (born 26 July 1973) is an English actress and model. After some minor television roles, her film debut was ''Much Ado About Nothing'' (1993) while a student at the University of Oxford. She appeared in British costume ...
, who portrayed
Selene
In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Selene (; grc-gre, Σελήνη , meaning "Moon"''A Greek–English Lexicon's.v. σελήνη) is the goddess and the personification of the Moon. Also known as Mene, she is traditionally the daughter o ...
in ''Underworld'', expressed interest in reprising her role for the sequel and the prequel.
In December 2005, ''Underworld: Evolution'' director
Len Wiseman
Len Ryan Wiseman (born March 4, 1973) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for his work on the ''Underworld'' series, '' Live Free or Die Hard'', and the 2012 film '' Total Recall''. Wiseman runs the production company Sketch Films.
Earl ...
explained that the ''Underworld'' franchise was originally conceived as a trilogy. Wiseman said: "We sort of mapped out an entire history and story... a massive collection of ideas and stories that we're putting out at certain times." Wiseman anticipated creating a third installment for the franchise based on the audiences' reception of ''Underworld: Evolution'', which would be released the following month.
In a June 2006 interview, Wiseman said, "The third film is going to be a prequel. It will be the origin story and we find out things we didn't know about
Lucian
Lucian of Samosata, '; la, Lucianus Samosatensis ( 125 – after 180) was a Hellenized Syrian satirist, rhetorician and pamphleteer
Pamphleteer is a historical term for someone who creates or distributes pamphlets, unbound (and therefore ...
; he'll have a much bigger part in it. It will be about the creation
f the races
F, or f, is the sixth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''ef'' (pronounced ), and the plural is ''efs''.
Hist ...
and what started the war. It will be a period piece. The movie will also focus for the first time through the lycans' point of view." The director also shared, "In terms of the writing, a lot of the writing has been done. We've been developing ''Underworld 3'' for a while. I won't be directing ''Underworld: Rise of the Lycans''; I'm just going to be producing and writing." When asked if
Kate Beckinsale
Kathrin Romany Beckinsale (born 26 July 1973) is an English actress and model. After some minor television roles, her film debut was ''Much Ado About Nothing'' (1993) while a student at the University of Oxford. She appeared in British costume ...
would reprise her role as Selene in the prequel, Wiseman said, "It will be in the time period before, but it will overlap into the creation of her as well. We're in the process of seeing how far we go with that."
The following October, actor
Michael Sheen
Michael Christopher Sheen OBE (born 5 February 1969) is a Welsh actor, television producer and political activist. After training at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), he worked mainly in theatre throughout the 1990s with stage rol ...
, who portrays Lucian in the film series, expressed interest in being part of the prequel.
''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' announced that the film would be written by Danny McBride and mark the directorial début of
Patrick Tatopoulos
Patrick Tatopoulos (born September 25, 1957) is a Greek- French production designer and director who lives and works in the United States. His designs have appeared in numerous motion pictures, including '' Pitch Black'', ''Underworld'', ''I, Ro ...
, who designed the creature effects for all three ''Underworld'' films. Len Wiseman would produce, and contribute to the writing of this film, but would not direct, nor would
Kate Beckinsale
Kathrin Romany Beckinsale (born 26 July 1973) is an English actress and model. After some minor television roles, her film debut was ''Much Ado About Nothing'' (1993) while a student at the University of Oxford. She appeared in British costume ...
reprise her lead role of Selene nor would
Scott Speedman
Robert Scott Speedman (born September 1, 1975) is a British-Canadian actor. He is known for portraying Ben Covington in the coming-of-age drama television series '' Felicity'', Lycan–Vampire hybrid Michael Corvin in the gothic horror–actio ...
reprise his role of Michael. In late September 2007, Outlander scribes Dirk Blackman and Howard McCain were brought on board and delivered a draft on November 3, mere days before the
2007-2008 Writers Guild of America strike. Pre-production began shortly thereafter.
The prequel film was shot in
Auckland
Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...
,
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
and in
Roxboro,
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
. There is a brief pickup shot of
Tenaya Lake in
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park ( ) is an American national park in California, surrounded on the southeast by Sierra National Forest and on the northwest by Stanislaus National Forest. The park is managed by the National Park Service and covers an ar ...
as well.
In a 2009 interview, ''Underworld'' co-creator
Kevin Grevioux
Kevin Grevioux (; born September 9, 1962) is an American actor, screenwriter, director, and comic book writer. He is best known for his role as Raze in the ''Underworld'' film series, which he co-created, as well as his voicework in the cartoon ...
revealed that he had based the Selene character off of the
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
character of the same name, without the company's permission.
[http://moviesstock1.blogspot.com/2009/06/exclusive-kevin-grevioux-talks.html ]
Filming for ''Underworld: Awakening'' began in March 2011 at
Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University (SFU) is a public research university in British Columbia, Canada, with three campuses, all in Greater Vancouver: Burnaby (main campus), Surrey, and Vancouver. The main Burnaby campus on Burnaby Mountain, located from ...
in
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
,
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
. ''Underworld: Awakening'' is the first movie to be shot using
RED EPIC
Red Digital Cinema (''Red Digital Cinema Camera Company'') is an American company that manufactures professional digital cinematography cameras and accessories.
The company's headquarters is in Foothill Ranch, California, with studios in Holly ...
digital cameras in 3D.
Reception
Box office performance
Critical and public response
In other media
There have been various
spin-offs and
tie-in
A tie-in work is a work of fiction or other product based on a media property such as a film, video game, television series, board game, web site, role-playing game or literary property. Tie-ins are authorized by the owners of the original prope ...
s in a range of other media.
IDW Publishing
IDW Publishing is an American publisher of comic books, graphic novels, art books, and comic strip collections. It was founded in 1999 as the publishing division of Idea and Design Works, LLC (IDW), itself formed in 1999, and is regularly recog ...
has published a number of ''Underworld'' comics, including ''
Underworld: Red in Tooth and Claw'', and also an adaptation of the third film ''Rise of the Lycans'' written by
Kevin Grevioux
Kevin Grevioux (; born September 9, 1962) is an American actor, screenwriter, director, and comic book writer. He is best known for his role as Raze in the ''Underworld'' film series, which he co-created, as well as his voicework in the cartoon ...
which was published and released in 2009.
In addition to the
novelization
A novelization (or novelisation) is a derivative novel that adapts the story of a work created for another medium, such as a film, TV series, stage play, comic book or video game. Film novelizations were particularly popular before the advent of ...
s of ''Underworld'' and ''Underworld: Evolution'', there is an original novel written by Greg Cox, published by Pocket Star Books in 2004, 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.
In September 2003,
Sony
, commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...
contracted with
Black Widow Games for the production of ''
Underworld: Bloodline'' (a ''
Half-Life
Half-life (symbol ) is the time required for a quantity (of substance) to reduce to half of its initial value. The term is commonly used in nuclear physics to describe how quickly unstable atoms undergo radioactive decay or how long stable ato ...
''
mod
Mod, MOD or mods may refer to:
Places
* Modesto City–County Airport, Stanislaus County, California, US
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
* Mods (band), a Norwegian rock band
* M.O.D. (Method of Destruction), a band from New York City, US ...
). An action video game based on the first film entitled ''
The Eternal War'' was scheduled for release on the
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...
and
Xbox
Xbox is a video gaming brand created and owned by Microsoft. The brand consists of five video game consoles, as well as applications (games), streaming services, an online service by the name of Xbox network, and the development arm by the na ...
consoles in 2004, but it only saw release for the PlayStation 2 in Europe, and was cancelled in all other regions.
"Underworld: The Eternal War"
''GameFAQs.com''. Retrieved 2011-07-03.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Underworld (Film Series)
Action film series
American dark fantasy films
Fantasy film series
Film series based on Marvel Comics
Film series introduced in 2003
Screen Gems franchises
Vampire film series
Werewolf films