Will the 'Underworld' Film Franchise Move Forward Without Kate Beckinsale?

It’s no secret that movie lovers go crazy for vampire films. Whether violent and grotesque undead or drool-worthy, six-pack-sporting bloodsuckers, we devour vampire movies like there’s no tomorrow, and the Underworld franchise is no exception. The franchise became a staple of cinemas for nearly a decade. When the first Underworld movie hit theaters with a $22 million budget, it grossed nearly $100 million worldwide despite a mixed reception. A few bad reviews didn’t stop the producer’s momentum, and they went on to release four more installments.

A franchise was created, and lead star Kate Beckinsale’s career skyrocketed. She starred in four of the five films as the vampire Death Dealer Selene, and to fans, she quickly became the face of the Underworld universe. Sadly, in 2018, during an interview with Variety, Beckinsale announced she wouldn’t be returning to any future Underworld films with a vague, blunt statement. “I wouldn’t return. I’ve done plenty of those.”

Rumors of Underworld 6 were in the works for years, particularly after the cliffhanger ending of Underworld: Blood Wars. Yet recently, franchise creator Len Wiseman instead confirmed a reboot is in the works. It’s unclear whether Wiseman is using the term “reboot” literally or as a marketing buzzword often applied loosely. Is the planned Underworld film in the same continuity, or is it a complete reboot that will wipe the slate clean? However, the question on everyone’s mind is what this means for Kate Beckinsale and the future of the franchise.

Update October 23, 2025: This article has been updated with more details about the Underworld film franchise, including past crossovers that never happened.

The ‘Underworld’ Movies in Order

Sony Pictures

The Underworld films have fed audiences with top-quality vampire and werewolf movies for years. Its moody cinematography, early 2000s aesthetic, and sci-fi spin on classic horror monsters make it a unique relic of its time. The first film focuses on Selene (Beckinsale) struggling to protect Michael (Scott Speedman), a human medical student being hunted by werewolves — the series calls them Lycans — who are intent on creating a hybrid species. After Underworld was released in 2003, a prequel followed in 2006, Underworld: Evolution, which surpassed the first movie both at the domestic and worldwide box office.

In 2009, Beckinsale didn’t return for the third film, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, a prequel that explored how the conflict between vampires and lycans truly began. While it was still a hit, the movie earned less than its predecessors. In 2012, Beckinsale reprised her role as Selene in Underworld: Awakening, which grossed $160 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing entry in the franchise. The film’s success was largely attributed to Beckinsale’s return, although it also had the franchise’s largest budget at $70 million.

The fifth installment, Underworld: Blood Wars, hit theaters internationally in 2016, with its U.S. release the first week of 2017, but it saw a surprising box-office drop, making nearly half of what Underworld: Awakening made four years prior. Underworld: Blood Wars was the first Underworld movie to not recoup its budget domestically, seemingly marking the end of the franchise. A full box-office breakdown of the five Underworld films is shown below.

Why Did Beckinsale Depart the ‘Underworld’ Franchise?

Sony Pictures

Although Beckinsale’s reasons for giving up her role as a vampire bombshell are shrouded in mystery, there are a few theories. The first is that the actor has outgrown her role as Selene, having played it for 14 years. The part was very physically demanding, and Beckinsale has earned the right to step away from the action-heavy role.

Another is just a creative lack of interest. Beckinsale had been playing the role for years, and while fans might have enjoyed it, the movies were getting worse reviews with each entry. It started to feel repetitive and could harm her career in the long term. While it became her signature movie series, she was likely getting typecast in the role and wanted to be seen as more than just the star of a series of movies that were dwindling in quality.

Another factor is Beckinsale’s real-life situation: she and her husband, Len Wiseman, divorced after separating in 2015. Wiseman is the creator of Underworld and director of the first two entries in the franchise. The duo met during the first movie, which also featured Beckinsale’s then-partner, Michael Sheen, as Lucian, the lead Lycan. Beckinsale and Wiseman married in 2004. The couple announced they had separated in 2015, with Wiseman filing for divorce in 2016, which was finalized in 2019. Wiseman is still part of the franchise and could have kept Beckinsale from returning.

In 2018, Beckinsale seemed to give a definitive no to returning to Underworld. Yet in 2021, her attitude seemed to change. In an interview with Variety in July 2021, Beckinsale said a new Underworld was “highly doubtful.” She then revealed she wouldn’t be opposed to returning, saying she still has her signature black pants. “I know exactly where they are. You never know who you want to impress.” Yet since then, Beckinsale has not commented on a new Underworld film.

History of Failed ‘Underworld’ Crossovers

New Line Cinema

Although Underworld‘s storyline has been solely Selene-focused for most of its duration, the world created by Len Wiseman is vast and unexplored. Many nuances remain unexplored, either by design or to maintain the story’s single point of view. With an upcoming revival of the franchise, there’s a lot more to explore in this world. The Rise of the Lycans was a good step toward expanding the franchise beyond Selene’s story. It explored the origins of the feud between the two races and the history of Michael Sheen’s Lucian, the antagonist of the first film and one of the series’ most fascinating characters. There are plenty of angles to explore with the franchise.

In the spirit of the Universal monsters, references to crossing over Underworld with other horror-adjacent franchises have been made over the years. The first was a crossover with 2014’s I, Frankenstein. Created by Kevin Grevioux, who co-wrote Underworld and starred as the lycan Raze, I, Frankenstein follows Frankenstein’s monster, called Adam (Aaron Eckhart), in the modern world, fighting a battle between angels and demons. I, Frankenstein had a strong Underworld vibe, and creator Kevin Grevioux said early drafts of the script featured Underworld Easter eggs and a planned Selene post-credit cameo with Kate Beckinsale reprising her role. Yet those never panned out.

In 2016, Underworld producer David Kern revealed that they were considering a crossover with the Resident Evil franchise. Both Resident Evil and Underworld were defining action-horror franchises of the 2000s and 2010s, each centered on action-heroines. The prospect of seeing Kate Beckinsale’s Selene and Milla Jovovich’s Alice sounds like the most 2000s pitch ever, but one that likely could have yielded big box office results. Despite the possibility of a crossover between Underworld and Resident Evil, both distributed by Screen Gems, the project seemed nothing more than a dream.

Finally, the biggest and most infamous crossover that never happened was between Underworld and Blade. In 2016, during the promotion for Underworld: Blood Wars, Beckinsale revealed that there had been talks of an Underworld/Blade crossover film, pitting the two iconic vampires against each other. How this would have worked, given that Underworld was made through Sony Pictures’ Screen Gems while New Line Cinema distributed Blade, remains a mystery. Yet it appears it was one that almost happened, with Wesley Snipes in talks to reprise his role as Blade.

Yet any plans for a Blade/Underworld crossover died when Marvel Studios regained the rights to the Daywalker. An MCU Blade movie has been stuck in development hell for six years, though Snipes did finally reprise his role as his signature character in Deadpool & Wolverine. Meanwhile, Kate Beckinsale’s Selene has not been seen since 2017, and so far, it doesn’t seem like a return is in the cards.

Can Kate Beckinsale’s Selene Return in an ‘Underworld’ Reboot?

Screen Gems

With Beckinsale seemingly open to returning but maybe not continuing the franchise, the best bet would be to position a hypothetical Underworld 6 as a legacy sequel and pass the baton to a new lead character. The franchise has already set up a successor: Eve, Selene’s daughter, introduced in Awakening, who offers the chance to give the story the generational touch needed to close the chapter with Selene and move forward with Eve’s adventures. This would allow the franchise to maintain continuity while also providing a fresh starting point for new viewers, possibly those born after the Underworld franchise began 20 years ago.

If Beckinsale still didn’t want to return, the movie could also write her out while still allowing Eve to become the franchise’s new lead, similar to how Underworld: Awakening and Underworld: Blood Wars write out Scott Speedman’s Michael. Yet at that point, it might be better to move forward with a complete Underworld reboot, recasting the part of Selene. While it might be difficult to imagine anyone else in the role besides Beckinsale, a fresh start with no baggage of continuity and an ability to forge its own path not tied to the past might be the creative spark the series needs.

Yet following The Rise of the Lycans, the only non-Kate Beckinsale entry in the series, performing less than its predecessors, Screen Gems might see Underworld as Kate Beckinsale’s franchise. Very much like Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones, it is a series tied to one star. Like the Halloween series, the franchise’s attempt to shift focus — and failing — might have cemented what an Underworld movie can be: one starring Kate Beckinsale. Without her, the studio might not see an incentive, since it would be a greater financial risk.

Yet it is worth considering, can or should Underworld return at all? The franchise was very much an artifact of its time, from its style to its overly blue hue. Removing much of the early 21st-century aesthetic might modernize the franchise, but it would also lose the charm that makes it Underworld. As Disney rolls out a third failed attempt to make Tron happen, no franchise is ever truly dead, and in time, some new version of Underworld will likely happen. The big question on everyone’s mind is whether Kate Beckinsale will return, and if not, whether the series can stand without her.

Release Date

September 19, 2003

Runtime

122 Minutes