While some will always knock it for being one of those franchises nobody seems to like yet won't go away, Underworld has been pretty consistent since beginning in 2003. Consistent in that none of the four vampire vs. lycan action flicks has cost more than $70M, which is why Screen Gems can continue to produce them despite none earning over $160M worldwide. It's the main reason why we are now being treated to the fifth one, Underworld: Blood Wars, which not only sees the return of Kate Beckinsale as the leather-clad Selene but Theo James as that character you forgot about from Underworld: Awakening.
The first trailer has arrived and, honestly, it looks like all of the other movies. The first half of the footage is old stuff but it's indistinguishable from the new, which finds Death Dealer Selene once again called into action to protect the vampire bloodline. That means lots of pale skin, blue eyes, bullets, and werewolves crawling around in sewers. The visual palette hasn't changed much but there's still something undeniably cool about vampires fighting werewolves, even now.
Charles Dance joins Beckinsale and James as the main returning cast members, while Tobias Menzies (Outlander), Lara Pulver (Sherlock), Bradley James, and more fill out the vampire and lycan ranks. Directed by Anna Foerster, Underworld: Blood Wars opens January 6th 2017.
