Underworld: Evolution | |
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Directed by | Len Wiseman |
Screenplay by | Danny McBride |
Story by |
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Based on | |
Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | Simon Duggan |
Edited by | Nicolas Del Toth |
Music by | Marco Beltrami |
Production companies | |
Distributed by | Sony Pictures Releasing [2] |
Release dates |
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Running time | 106 minutes |
Country | United States [2] |
Language | English [2] |
Budget | $45 million [3] |
Box office | $113.4 million [3] |
Underworld: Evolution is a 2006 American action horror film directed by Len Wiseman from a screenplay by Danny McBride, based on a story by Wiseman and McBride. [4] It is the sequel to Underworld (2003) and the second installment in the Underworld film series. The film stars Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Tony Curran, Shane Brolly, Steven Mackintosh, Derek Jacobi, and Bill Nighy. The plot follows Selene and Michael, again played by Beckinsale and Speedman, respectively, as they fight to protect the Corvinus bloodline from its hidden past.
Underworld: Evolution premiered at the Cinerama Dome in Los Angeles, California on January 11, 2006, and was released in the United States on January 20, by Sony Pictures Releasing. The film received generally negative reviews from critics and grossed over $113 million worldwide against a production budget of $45 million.
The film was followed by the prequel Underworld: Rise of the Lycans in 2009.
In 1202, an army led by the three vampire elders (Markus, Viktor, and Amelia) arrives at a village full of Werewolves. Viktor and Amelia capture their target, Markus's twin brother, William Corvinus, the first and most powerful werewolf. Despite Markus's defiance, Viktor orders that William be forever imprisoned in a secret location.
In the present day, vampire Selene takes Michael to a safe house so that she can confront the vampire regent Kraven; she plans to stop Kraven from killing Markus. Markus awakens before Kraven arrives and kills him and his men. Lorenz Macaro, an elderly man who is really an immortal and forefather to both the vampire and Lycan races, sends in a team to investigate the aftermath of the battle in the Lycans' lair. When Macaro examines Viktor's corpse he finds a metal disc which matches a pendant originally worn by Sonja. The other half of the pendant is possessed by Michael after Lucian's death.
Using the knowledge of computers obtained from Kraven's blood, Markus tracks Selene and Michael down and attacks them, but they evade him and hide in a warehouse. There, Selene and Michael share their feelings and have sex. Knowing that the pendant is important to Markus, Michael and Selene set out to discover why he wants it. Selene recalls that she saw it as a child, but does not know its significance. They travel to the hideout of the exiled vampire historian Andreas Tanis.
Tanis reveals that Markus was the first vampire, one of the three sons of Alexander Corvinus, the first immortal. Markus was bitten by a bat and metamorphosed into a vampire, while William was bitten by a wolf and metamorphosed into a werewolf. The third son remained human and gave rise to a line of mortal descendants including Michael, who became the first Lycan-Vampire hybrid. The first werewolves created by William were entirely feral and unable to return to their human forms. Due to William's destructiveness, Markus approached Viktor, then a dying mortal warlord, and offered to metamorphose him and his army into vampires in exchange for tracking down and stopping William, and destroying those he had infected. Viktor did not kill the brothers because he was led to believe that doing so would result in the immediate extinction of all vampires and Lycans. Tanis further reveals that Selene's father was the architect who built William's prison and that the pendant is the key. Viktor killed Selene's family because they knew the prison's location, but metamorphosed Selene into a vampire with the location of the prison encoded in her blood. Tanis then refers Selene and Michael to Macaro for help. After Selene and Michael leave, Markus arrives and drinks Tanis' blood to learn Selene and Michael's location, killing Tanis.
Visiting Macaro, Selene and Michael discover he is Alexander Corvinus. Alexander reveals that he has devoted his entire immortal life to keeping the Vampire-Lycan war a secret, and refuses to assist Selene in killing his sons. Markus arrives, fights Michael and impales him. He learns the location of William's prison by drinking Selene's blood before mortally wounding his father and obtaining the other half of the pendant. He mocks his father's refusal to help William, revealing that he intends, with William, to rule the world as the master of a race of vampire-Lycan hybrids. At Alexander's bidding, Selene drinks his blood, enhancing her physical strength and healing abilities to a level equivalent to that of a hybrid. Afterwards, Alexander blows up his ship, killing himself.
Selene, aboard Alexander's helicopter, leads his team to the prison to confront and destroy Markus, but he has already freed William. In the ensuing battle, Michael, presumed dead and carried aboard the helicopter, awakens and joins the fight in his hybrid form, killing William by ripping his head off. Selene engages Markus in hand-to-hand combat, killing him by pushing him into the rotor blades of the team's crashed helicopter.
After the battle, Selene discovers that Alexander's blood granted her hybrid abilities, including being immune to the effects of sunlight, which is lethal to vampires.
Underworld: Evolution (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | ||||
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Soundtrack album | ||||
Released | January 10, 2006 | |||
Genre | Alternative rock, alternative metal, post-hardcore, industrial, nu metal, metalcore, gothic metal | |||
Length | 62:19 | |||
Label | Lakeshore | |||
Producer | Skip Williamson, Brain McNelis & Len Wiseman | |||
Underworld film series soundtrack chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [5] |
No. | Title | Artist | Length |
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1. | "The Undertaker" (Renholdër Mix) | Puscifer | 3:57 |
2. | "Morning After" (Julien-K Remix) | Chester Bennington | 4:14 |
3. | "Where Can I Stab Myself in the Ears?" (The Legion of Doom Remix) | Hawthorne Heights | 3:58 |
4. | "To the End" (RnR Cheryl Mix) | My Chemical Romance | 3:12 |
5. | "Vermillion, Pt. 2" (Bloodstone Mix) | Slipknot | 3:39 |
6. | "Burn" (Alleged Remix) | Alkaline Trio | 4:02 |
7. | "The Last Sunrise" (Dusk Mix) | Aiden | 3:55 |
8. | "Bite to Break Skin" (The Legion of Doom Remix) | Senses Fail | 4:08 |
9. | "Her Portrait in Black" | Atreyu | 4:02 |
10. | "Washing Away Me in the Tides" | Trivium | 3:47 |
11. | "Eternal Battle" | Mendozza | 4:10 |
12. | "Our Truth" | Lacuna Coil | 4:04 |
13. | "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" | Gosling | 5:01 |
14. | "Why Are You Up" | Bobby Gold | 3:10 |
15. | "Suicide" | Meat Beat Manifesto | 3:14 |
16. | "HW2" (Cover of "Halloween II", originally recorded by Samhain) | Cradle of Filth | 3:38 |
The film opened at #1 on 3,207 screens with a weekend box office (January 20–22, 2006) of $26.9 million, for an average of $8,388 per theater. [1] As of March 12, 2006, the film had grossed a total of $62.3 million in the United States and $111.3 million worldwide. [1]
As of August 31, 2021, Underworld: Evolution has a 17% overall approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 104 reviews, with an average rating of 3.9/10. The site's consensus reads, "A visual and aural assault on the senses, this vampire-werewolf sequel makes a lot of noise and features a heavy-handed, overly convoluted story." [6] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 36 out of 100, based on 21 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews. [7] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale. [8]
A few scenes of the film were shown in a panel at Comic-Con in San Diego, in July 2005; however, these scenes did not contain any plot spoilers of the script, with attendees only being informed about the new hybrids by production designer Patrick Tatopoulos. The preview was well-received as hundreds of fans waited hours to see a clip of the film, as well as Kate Beckinsale and the other stars. [9]
Jeannette Catsoulis of The New York Times criticized the film's "steel-blue filter" and described it as "a monotonous barrage of computer-generated fur and fangs." [10] Peter Hartlaub of the San Francisco Chronicle began his review by saying, "you can tell that Underworld: Evolution is trying to be an artistic action-horror film, because every scene is bathed in the color blue," going on to say that the film is "an admirable attempt to test the boundaries of the genre," though is confusing and not fun to watch. [11]
The film was released on DVD on June 6, 2006, [12] and on Blu-ray on June 20, 2006. [13]
Award | Subject | Nominee | Result |
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MTV Movie Awards [14] | Best Hero | Kate Beckinsale | Nominated |
Scream Awards [15] | Scream Queen | Won |
The next film in the series, the prequel Underworld: Rise of the Lycans , depicted the background history that led to the Vampire-Lycan War of the first and second films. A fourth and fifth film, the sequels to Underworld: Evolution, titled Underworld: Awakening and Underworld: Blood Wars , were released on January 20, 2012, and January 6, 2017, respectively. [16]
In folklore, a werewolf, or occasionally lycanthrope, is an individual who can shape-shift into a wolf, or especially in modern film, a therianthropic hybrid wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse or affliction, often a bite or the occasional scratch from another werewolf, with the transformations occurring on the night of a full moon. Early sources for belief in this ability or affliction, called lycanthropy, are Petronius (27–66) and Gervase of Tilbury (1150–1228).
Kathrin Romany Beckinsale is an English actress. The only child of actors Richard Beckinsale and Judy Loe, she debuted onstage in a 1992 production of Noël Coward's Hay Fever.
Werewolf fiction denotes the portrayal of werewolves and other shapeshifting therianthropes, in the media of literature, drama, film, games and music. Werewolf literature includes folklore, legend, saga, fairy tales, Gothic and horror fiction, fantasy fiction and poetry. Such stories may be supernatural, symbolic or allegorical. A classic cinematic example of the theme is The Wolf Man (1941) which in later films joins with the Frankenstein Monster and Count Dracula as one of the three famous icons of modern day horror. However, werewolf fiction is an exceptionally diverse genre, with ancient folkloric roots and manifold modern re-interpretations.
Underworld is a 2003 action horror film 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. The film stars Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Michael Sheen, Shane Brolly, and Bill Nighy. The plot centers on the secret history of vampires and lycans. The main plot revolves around Selene (Beckinsale), a vampire Death Dealer hunting Lycans. She finds herself attracted to a human, Michael Corvin (Speedman), who is being targeted by the Lycans. After Michael is bitten by a Lycan, Selene must decide whether to do her duty and kill him or go against her clan and save him.
Len Ryan Wiseman is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for his work on the Underworld series, Live Free or Die Hard, and the 2012 film Total Recall. Wiseman runs the production company Sketch Films.
Robert Scott Speedman is a Canadian actor. He is known for portraying Ben Covington in the coming-of-age drama television series Felicity, Lycan–Vampire hybrid Michael Corvin in the gothic horror–action Underworld films, and Barry "Baz" Blackwell in the TNT crime drama series Animal Kingdom. His other film work includes Duets, Dark Blue, XXX: State of the Union, The Strangers, Barney's Version, The Vow, and Crimes of the Future. In 2021, he returned to Grey's Anatomy as a main character following a guest role in season 14 as Dr. Nick Marsh.
Kevin Grevioux is an American actor, screenwriter, director, and comic book writer. He is best known for his role as Raze in the Underworld film series, which he co-created, as well as his voicework in the cartoon Young Justice as the villain Black Beetle.
Shane Brolly is a Northern Irish actor, writer, and director known for his role as Kraven in the Underworld franchise.
Selene is a character and the main protagonist of the Underworld film franchise, in which she is portrayed by Kate Beckinsale. The character is introduced in the first film, Underworld, as an elite vampire assassin known as a "Death Dealer" who hunts down the Lycans for allegedly murdering her family. She becomes attracted to a human named Michael Corvin, and upon discovering that her sire and adoptive father Viktor was actually responsible for the death of her family, defects from the vampire clan.
Steven Mackintosh is an English actor and narrator. He is perhaps best known for his role as Andreas Tanis in the action horror films Underworld: Evolution (2006) and Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009).
Underworld is an American action horror film series created by Kevin Grevioux, Len Wiseman, and Danny McBride. It follows characters who are caught up in a war between vampires and werewolves. Most of the films star Kate Beckinsale as Selene. The first film, Underworld (2003), introduces Selene, an elite vampire-warrior who defies her orders, and Michael Corvin, a human who gets caught up in the war. The second film, Underworld: Evolution (2006), follows Selene and Michael as they are hunted by their enemies. The third film, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009), is the prequel to the series, chronicling the origins of the vampire-lycan war. The fourth film, Underworld: Awakening (2012), is the sequel to Underworld: Evolution. In this film, humans have discovered the existence of vampires and lycans, and are trying to eradicate both species. A fifth film, titled Underworld: Blood Wars (2016), focuses on Selene who tries to stop a new war between vampires and lycans.
Underworld: The Eternal War is a 2004 top-down shooter video game based on the 2003 action film Underworld. It was originally planned to release along side the movie on Xbox and PC. Both versions were cancelled at some point.
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans is a 2009 American action horror film directed by Patrick Tatopoulos from a screenplay by Danny McBride, Dirk Blackman, and Howard McCain, based on a story by Len Wiseman, Robert Orr, and McBride. It is a prequel to Underworld (2003) and the third installment in the Underworld film series. The film stars Michael Sheen, Bill Nighy, Rhona Mitra, Steven Mackintosh, and Kevin Grevioux. The plot focuses primarily on the origins of the characters and the events that lead up to the Vampire–Lycan war. Kate Beckinsale, who starred in the previous Underworld films, appears briefly at the end of the film.
Brian Steele is an American actor who is best known for frequently playing monsters in films and television. In 2018, he appeared as The Robot in Lost in Space. Steele stands at 6 ft 7 in.
Underworld: Awakening is a 2012 American action horror film directed by Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein from a screenplay by Len Wiseman, John Hlavin, J. Michael Straczynski, and Allison Burnett, based on a story by Wiseman and Hlavin. It is the direct sequel to Underworld: Evolution (2006) and the fourth installment in the Underworld film series. The film stars Kate Beckinsale, Stephen Rea, Michael Ealy, Theo James, India Eisley, and Charles Dance.
Underworld: Endless War is a 2011 American anime-influenced adult animated anthology film consisting of a collection of three short tie-in stories, whose creation was supervised by Len Wiseman, director of the first two Underworld films. Each film tells a different story, and takes place during different periods of history to highlight new events within the Underworld mythology. The stories also help set up the events in the next film in the series, Underworld: Awakening (2012).
Underworld: Blood Wars is a 2016 action horror film directed by Anna Foerster from a screenplay by Cory Goodman, based on a story by Kyle Ward and Goodman. It is the sequel to Underworld: Awakening (2012) and the fifth installment in the Underworld film series. The film stars Kate Beckinsale, Theo James, Lara Pulver, James Faulkner, and Charles Dance.
La Luna Sangre is a Philippine television drama fantasy series broadcast by ABS-CBN. The series is the third and final installment of Lobo trilogy and the sequel to Imortal. Directed by Jerry Lopez Sineneng, Richard I. Arellano, Frasco S. Mortiz, Rory B. Quintos, Mae Czarina Cruz-Alviar, Rory Quintos and Mae Cruz-Alviar, it stars Kathryn Bernardo, Daniel Padilla, Richard Gutierrez and Angel Locsin. It aired on the network's Primetime Bida line up and worldwide on TFC from June 19, 2017 to March 2, 2018, replacing My Dear Heart and was replaced by Bagani.