Underworld director Len Wiseman is confirming that there are still plans to reboot the franchise in the works – in the form of a TV series. Today (September 19th) marks the 20-year anniversary of Underworld’s debut in theaters; the modestly-budgeted film ($22 million) only early $95.7M at the worldwide box office, but became a cult hit for it mix of horror lore and superhero action, as well as launching star Kate Beckinsale to certified leading lady/mainstream icon status.
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Moreover, Underworld was one of the early 21st-century franchise universes built on an original IP (see also: Fast and the Furious), and has continued to be viable. As horror and superheroes have become the biggest box office draws, Underworld’s opportunity for success has certainly come back around.
When EW sat down with Len Wiseman to talk about 20 years of Underworld, they had to ask the filmmaker directly about the plans to bring it back. Wiseman wasn’t volunteering any extensive information, simply confirming that “There is a fashion that is in the works. I can’t talk about it, but there is a future to Underworld for sure.”
News that Underworld was getting a TV reboot started circulating six years(!) ago, with the earliest reports stating that Wiseman himself would act as showrunner and producer, through his Sketch FIlms production company. When asked whether that TV series was part of the “future to Underworld,” Wiseman confirmed, “That’s the one I’m referring to.”
When the Underworld TV reboot was first reported, Wiseman also gave a quote that indicated that fans of the films need to be ready for something different, as the superhero action element would not be so prevalent in the TV Show: “The series will be a pretty big departure from the films,” Wiseman said at the time. “I don’t want to say it’s more adult, but it’s definitely less comic book in its tone and character.”
Wiseman’s ex-wife Kate Beckinsale has maintained for years now that she’s out of the picture (literally), stating that “I wouldn’t return. I’ve done plenty of those,” when interviewed by Variety in 2018.
Underworld’s popularity largely hinged on its horror-themed lore, which pitted vampires and werewolves against one another in a war that started in Medieval times and spilled over into the 21st century. While the character arc of Beckinsale’s Selene and her creation of new vampire/werewolf hybrids, the franchise itself has always been ripe for a longer form story format, that could encompass a larger ensemble of characters and more creative use of different eras to make the story layered, complex and surprising.
You can currently stream the Underworld movies on
