Will ‘Underworld 6’ Happen?
Kate Beckinsale has been busy these days. Her latest movie Jolt, released on Amazon Prime, is already rumored to have a sequel in the making. Clearly, she has a full plate. So it’s no surprise that she doesn’t think there will be the sixth installment of Underworld.
Beckinsale plays Selene, a warrior vampire dubbed a Death Dealer who has dedicated her life to killing Lycans, also known as werewolves. The franchise was an immediate hit among fans, but not so much the critics. Let’s take a look at the franchise’s past, present, and possible future.
The film that started it all
The first film in the franchise made $95 million with a $25 million dollar budget in 2003. The franchise has since spawned four sequels: Underworld: Evolution in 2006, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans in 2009, Underworld: Awakening in 2012, and Underworld: Blood Wars in 2016.
Despite the success of the franchise, Beckinsale doesn’t see the franchise continuing but says that she is willing to slip back into the leather pants. “I know exactly where they are,” she told Variety. One of the biggest indications has been the time between films. Another factor is the critics’ opinion of the franchise through the years.
The end of the line for the franchise
None of the films in the franchise have been well-received by critics. All of the films were deemed rotten by Rotten Tomatoes. However, the franchise has a loyal fan-following so the sequels kept coming. That fan-following faltered after the last film. The latest film didn’t even impress the loyal fans.
In addition, a long time has passed since the final film. Based on the release of prior films in the franchise, no more than four years passed between the sequels, which is also another indication that the fan following has finally petered out.
A reboot may be in the future
Since the film doesn’t seem ripe for a sequel, some have ventured to guess a reboot may be in the works. It has been rumored that a TV show could be in the works for the franchise as well. It would be interesting to see if Beckinsale would be willing to reprise her role in a TV show.
Beckinsale has mentioned that she would like to work on a mashup of Underworld and Blade. Since the movies are born from the same genre, it would be an interesting film if and when it does come to fruition. However, she says that she thinks they only wanted to do a Blade reboot as a solo project. Perhaps there will be a mashup in the future?
If there is enough outcry from audiences when there is no Underworld 6 produced, that could be one way the writers could reinvigorate the franchise by creating a new storyline for both characters. In 2016, producer David Kern stated that a crossover film with the Resident Evil film series had also been considered.
A separate crossover film between the Blade series and Underworld had been discussed as a sequel to Blade: Trinity with Snipes returning, but that idea was declined because Marvel Studios had plans to use the character in the Marvel Universe.
Kate Beckinsale seems to have found her niche in Hollywood as a female action hero. Her work in Underworld, as well as Jolt in 2021, has certainly placed her in the running for it. If her recent films are any indication, it seems that Beckinsale may well be the next Milla Jovovich, who was deemed the “reigning queen of kick-butt” by VH1 in 2006. Look out Milla, someone may be coming for your crown.
