Underworld's Vengeance and New Directors

Columbia Picture’s fourth and most spectacular instalment in the hugely popular “Underworld” franchise, Underworld Awakening, brings a stunning new dimension to the epic battle between Vampires and Lycans, as the first movie also in the franchise to shoot in 3D.

The millennia-old battle between Vampires and Lycans rages on in stunning 3D. Taking the celebrated saga’s signature action and mayhem to a new level, “Underworld Awakening” pits the legendary Vampire warrioress Selen, (Kate Beckinsale) against her most powerful adversary yet, just as she discovers a shocking secret that will change everything she has ever fought for.



The filmmakers have taken the extraordinary risk of reinventing and reinvigorating an already hugely successful, internationally acclaimed property. They have transported their Vampire and Lycan characters into a contemporary, human dominated world in which they are hunted to near extinction, adding excitement of cutting edge 3D technology into the mix.


Vengeance Returns
Set 15 years after the conclusion of “Evolution,” “Underworld Awakening” adds new characters and new rules to the story. “I think the hardcore fans are going to find a more action-packed and, to a certain degree, more violentUnderworld than they’ve seen before,” says Lucchesi.

“Selene’s rougher in this movie than she’s ever been. She’s capable of greater violence. It’s a very strong dramatic story and extremely well-acted. We’ve set a high bar with the earlier films and I think the audience will find this really intriguing.” The updates take the story out of its mythological past and place it squarely in the world of the science-fiction action thriller. “It doesn’t take place in our past or present or future,” says Richard Wright of Lakeshore. “It takes place in its own version of all three of those temporal periods.” 


Coatsworth believes the film succeeds on both levels and will be able to stand on its own as an exciting and entertaining film. “You don’t have to have seen any of the other Underworlds to appreciate it. I think a new group of people who enjoy action films and 3D will be a big part of our audience.”


New Directors with Edgier Vision
A number of filmmakers were considered who demonstrated an interest in the Underworld franchise but it was trimmed down to two Swedish Directors who, have previously directed separately as well as together, have known each other since they were children. 

Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein both had co-directed a really interesting film called `Storm,' which seemed to us to have been heavily influenced by `Underworld’. “We could see from watching their earlier movie that they understood how the heroine was set up, the way that the film was shot, the camera movements, the color palette, everything,” says co-producer Richard Wright. “Then they gave us a very detailed presentation book that showed us what they thought the movie should look like. It was obvious these guys were going to bring a lot to the party.”


The directors were well aware of all the work that been done to create the series through the previous three installment and had the utmost respect for the franchise. The pair’s primary concern, says Stein, was being able to bring new, compelling elements to the screen while preserving the best of the past. The timeless archetypes of werewolves and Vampires remain. The biggest difference is in the balance of power, according to Stein.


Opening across the Philippines in January 2012, “Underworld Awakening” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. 
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