The Horror Classic That Launched a Vampire Franchise Bites Into a New Streaming Home Next Month

The Horror Classic That Launched a Vampire Franchise Bites Into a New Streaming Home Next Month Underworld Bill NighyImage via Screen Gems By  Lade Omotade Published 39 minutes ago

Lade Omotade is a News Author at Collider with a passion for exploring the ever-evolving world of the Film & TV industry. Her work centers on covering the latest news, from casting announcements and franchise scoops to streaming updates and behind-the-scenes shifts that shape the way stories are told.  Omotade approaches storytelling with both professional insight and unapologetic fandom; digging into what makes a franchise successful, spotlighting rising voices in Hollywood, and asking the questions fans are already buzzing about. Her writing reflects that mix: part industry analysis, part fan excitement, and always grounded in a love for the craft of storytelling.

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Although this classic franchise has received generally negative reviews from critics since its debut in the early 2000s, it has amassed a strong fan following that has only had the best things to say about it. The Underworld film series is that beloved franchise which began with the first installment in 2003 and has spawned four more films, a video game, and multiple print publications. The film has also found a new streaming home in the U.S., where it will be available for free very soon.

Starting December 1, Underworld will stream on the ad-supported platform Tubi, 22 years after its U.S. debut. The horror film premiered at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles, California, on September 15, 2003, and was released in U.S. and UK theaters four days later. Starring Kate Beckinsale as a vampire who hunts Lycans, it focuses on the secret history of both mythical creatures. Scott Speedman, Michael Sheen, Shane Brolly, Erwin Leder, and Bill Nighy also star in the 2003 gothic pic.

Underworld was directed by Len Wiseman in his feature-film directorial debut, from a screenplay by Danny McBride, based on a story by Kevin Grevioux, Wiseman, and McBride. As teased by its synopsis, the film sees vampires engage in an age-old battle under the cover of night with their sworn enemies, the Lycans, a clan of violent werewolves. Selene (Beckinsale), a vampire orphaned in the wake of a bloody Lycan attack, works for the vampire clan as a trained killer. When the Lycans take a mysterious interest in Michael Corvin (Speedman), an exceptional mortal doctor, Selene struggles to save him from Lucian (Sheen), a ruthless Lycan leader hell-bent on ending the vampire bloodline.

How Well Do You Know the 'Underworld' Franchise?

Three years after Underworld was released, its sequel, Underworld: Evolution, premiered in January 2006, with Wiseman returning as director and McBride as scribe. The prequel Underworld: Rise of the Lycans followed in January 2009, and later in January 2012, Underworld: Awakening was released as the fourth installment in the franchise and a direct sequel to Evolution. Underworld: Blood Wars, released in the U.S. in January 2017, is the fifth film in the series and the lowest-grossing film in the franchise. In total, the movies have grossed $539 million against a combined budget of $207 million.

The first Underworld movie begins streaming on Tubi next month. Stay tuned to Collider for further news.

Underworld

Like R Fantasy Action Thriller Release Date September 19, 2003 Runtime 122 Minutes Director Len Wiseman Writers Danny McBride

Cast

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• Kate Beckinsale
• Scott Speedman

Genres Fantasy, Action, Thriller Powered by Expand Collapse

• Movie News
• Horror
• Tubi

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