The Underworld franchise is considered by many to be a mainstay of the horror-action genre. With five films under its belt, the series has garnered a dedicated fan base, but as the cinematic universe of vampires and werewolves has expanded, so has the anticipation for something fresh – which brings us to the long-gestating TV series adaptation.
Director Len Wiseman, the creative mind behind the first two Underworld installments, recently shed light on the future of the franchise. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Wiseman confirmed that the TV series adaptation is not just a mere whisper in the dark but a tangible project in development.
Question: Are there any plans to bring Underworld back in any fashion?
Wiseman: There is a fashion that is in the works. I can’t talk about it, but there is a future to Underworld for sure.
Question: There was some talk about doing an Underworld TV show back in the day. What happened with that?
Wiseman: That’s the one I’m referring to.
That said, fans expecting a direct continuation of Kate Beckinsale’s Selene story might need to recalibrate their expectations. Wiseman has previously stated that the TV series will be a “pretty big departure from the films”.
While he has remained tight-lipped about specific details, he did mention that the series would adopt a tone less reminiscent of comic books, suggesting a potentially darker and more mature narrative – not that we haven’t seen examples of dark and mature comics.
The Underworld series delves into a world where two ancient supernatural species, vampires and lycans (just a fancy name for werewolves), have waged a secret, brutal war for centuries. The origins of this feud trace back to the tragic love story between Selene, a skilled vampire Death Dealer, and Michael Corvin, an unwitting human caught in the midst of the conflict.
As the series unfolds, it follows the power struggles, betrayals, and alliances within the vampire aristocracy, particularly the Corvinus clan. Selene becomes a central figure in this battle, as her hybrid bloodline holds the key to potentially ending the war.
With her combat skills, intellect, and determination, she becomes a formidable force against both Lycans and those vampires who seek to maintain the status quo. The backstories of the factions also gets fleshed out, as well as the influence of these hidden forces throughout history.
Though the Underworld series has been panned by critics, it has managed to stand on its own, thanks to its loyal fan base, which has seen the franchise gross over $530 million against a combined production budget of $207 million.
The most recent entry, Underworld: Blood Wars, hit screens in 2016, and while there were talks of a sequel back in 2017, updates on that front have been notably scarce. This could be due to the performance of Blood Wars, or even that planning for the show had begun already at that point.
Wiseman is also gearing up for his next directorial venture, the John Wick spinoff Ballerina, which is slated for release on June 7, 2024. However, given the ongoing strike, there is a strong possibility that Lionsgate could delay the release until the strike gets resolved.
