Since 2003, the mid-budgeted Underworld film series has been a consistent moneymaker for ScreenGems, with 2012’s Underworld Awakening grossing $160.1 million worldwide on a $70 million price tag. The franchise obviously isn’t breaking any box office records, but it certainly has found a sizable audience over the years, which is why the studio is interested in continuing it. Next year, a fifth installment – Underworld: Blood Wars – makes its way into theaters with Kate Beckinsale once again reprising Selene. First time director Anna Foerster is calling the shots.
The marketing campaign for Blood Wars has been well underway, as the first trailer and a poster were released back in September. ScreenGems is continuing their advertising efforts by bringing the project to New York Comic-Con 2016, which is going on this week. Recently, a collection of character one-sheets featuring the principal cast was posted online, and now another preview has premiered. You can watch the new Blood Wars trailer above.
This preview starts out similar to the last one (using identical narration), but it expands upon the main narrative. In particular, the personal stakes for Selene this time around are highlighted. As the war between the vampires and Lycans rages on, the latter faction has a new leader in place, Marius (Tobias Menzies) who wants the blood of Selene and her young daughter Eve. Given that everyone Selene has loved has been hunted down in the conflict, it’s clear why she would do anything to stop them. The primary objective appears to be ending the destructive war, a task that will challenge the heroes to the full extent of their limits.
There also appears to be a bit of a mystery element in place, as Selene mentions that she does not know where Eve is. It stands reason to believe then, that part of her mission will be discovering the location of her offspring to keep her safe from harm. If Eve was not part of the film, it would be odd for the trailer to mention her. Of course, trailers have lied to audiences before in an effort to sell tickets, but hopefully that is not the case here. Eve gone missing is a plot point that deserves to be resolved one way or another.
By now, moviegoers know if the Underworld franchise is their cup of tea or not. This trailer seems to be tailor-made for longtime fans of the series (which is understandable since it debuted at New York Comic-Con) and isn’t too concerned with selling the film to the uninitiated. Though some questions about Blood Wars remain (specifically how novice director Foerster will handle the material), but word of a sixth film continues to spread, so ScreenGems has to be confident they have another minor hit on their hands.
NEXT – Underworld: Blood Wars Character Posters
Underworld: Blood Wars opens in U.S. theaters January 6, 2017.
