Underworld 6 has remained a hot topic among fans ever since Kate Beckinsale last suited up as the vampire Selene.
Known for blending gothic horror with slick, Matrix-inspired action, the Underworld franchise carved out a unique space in early-2000s cinema and went on to spawn five films over more than a decade.
With speculation swirling about whether Sony will revive the series—or reboot it entirely—the big question remains: will Underworld 6 ever happen, and could Beckinsale return once more?
Will Underworld 6 Happen?
As of writing, there are no official plans for Underworld 6, and Sony/Screen Gems has not announced a production timeline, cast, or release date for a sixth feature film.
The franchise’s last entry, Underworld: Blood Wars (2016), concluded the story arc of Beckinsale's Selene character, meaning there doesn't seem to be a clear path for its continuation.
Although Beckinsale hasn't closed the door on a return, she doesn't seem to be exactly jumping at the chance to reprise her role as The Death Dealer, leaving the future of the franchise in limbo.
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While a direct sixth movie seems unlikely, the franchise is not entirely dormant.
Series creator Len Wiseman has confirmed that an Underworld TV adaptation is in development, suggesting the story could continue in a new form, exploring the vampire-lycan universe without relying solely on the original films. Yet that series remained trapped in development hell.
Meanwhile, Sony released an animated feature, Underworld: Endless War, in 2011—a collection of three short films designed as a prequel to Underworld: Awakening(2012).
Fans can cling to the post-Blood Wars cliffhangers and the expanding lore, but any continuation depends on studio decisions, fan interest, and whether a creative team can craft a story compelling enough to reignite the franchise.
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The Birth of the Underworld Franchise
With vampires totting automatic weapons in dark spandex suits and a penchant for slow-motion violence, Underworld was one of the many ‘Matrix-inspired’ features that came out in the early 2000s.
Putting Beckinsale on the map, this franchise has undoubtedly been one of the more peculiar things to come out of Hollywood in recent memory. After Marvel’s Blade, this was the industry’s second attempt to combine vampires with action, which until then had been relegated only to horror and slasher films.
Adding in werewolves and a rich backstory of centuries-old feud of power and deception, the concept did wonders, appealing to both action fans and vampire enthusiasts alike.
The Franchise Timeline
The first outing, 2003’s Underworld, managed to make nearly five times its budget, and a sequel titled Underworld: Evolution quickly followed three years later. This was also a success, leading to the studio deciding to go back in time to make a prequel titled Underworld: Rise of the Lycans in 2009.
Focusing on Michael Sheen’s Lucian, the prequel provided much-needed context on the eternal battle between vampires and werewolves.
A fourth film soon followed in 2012, focusing on Selene and her daughter, a direct sequel to Evolution. Underworld: Awakening, as it was titled, became the highest-grossing film in the entire franchise (helped by the advent of 3D, which was all the craze during that time).
This gave Sony confidence to make a fifth film in 2016, titled Underworld: Blood Wars. Although it was by no means a disaster, the less-than-stellar performance of this outing would later put the brakes on all further installments.
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What makes the Underworld franchise stand out
With so many vampire-themed films hitting our screens in the past 30 years, there are a couple of things that make the Underworld franchise unique.
First, the franchise has managed to spawn five live-action films, a record that ties it with the Twilight franchise for the most number of films in a vampire franchise. This alone is a testament to its popularity.
Second, it successfully combines Matrix-inspired gunplay (or ‘gun fu’ as it's commonly known) with centuries-old legends of vampires and werewolves. While the Blade trilogy was the first to go in this direction, it was the Underworld franchise that really went all-in and perfected it, creating a gothic aesthetic paired with high-octane action.
The series built a complex world that included vampire clans, lycans, ancient bloodlines, all woven together in a deeply layered story. Its stylized visuals, black leather wardrobe, and mercurial cinematography became instantly iconic to fans worldwide, influencing other supernatural action films and TV series such as The Twilight Saga, Van Helsing, and Dracula Untold.
It also ushered in the era of a different kind of female action hero, one who is stoic, lethal, and morally complex. Selene has a sense of purpose that many others don't, making her one of the more compelling figures in modern action cinema.
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Underworld Franchise Box Office and Success
One highly impressive fact to consider here is that no Underworld film has lost money.
By all accounts, odds had been against the first Underworld film, as several vampire features had failed to attain any meaningful box office results around the same time. But the film succeeded, giving birth to a franchise that has seen a total of five Underworld films over the course of 13 years.
Most long-running franchises stumble upon at least one box office bomb, but Sony was probably wise to stop at Underworld 5. They saw the diminishing returns of the last installment and quit while they were ahead.
Also equally impressive is the fact that the five films together have made more than half a billion dollars at the box office, with tens of millions more in home video and streaming rights. This stellar financial record shows that the franchise might still have some juice left in it, and the powers in charge would not be foolish to consider another go.
Could there be a reboot?
There is always a slight possibility that Sony might reboot the franchise entirely with a new lead actress.
From Men in Black to Ghostbusters and from Spider-Man to Charlie’s Angels, Sony has never shied away from pressing the ‘big red reboot button’ when they feel that the present iteration has run out of gas.
But that won't stop Sony, and it's quite possible they might have already had some conversations in this regard.
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So what next?
Considering everything above, the chances of a new Underworld film happening with Kate Beckinsale are slim to none at present.
Sony’s box office streak has been less than stellar recently, and so they are less likely to gamble money on a film that might not make as much as they want it to. There is always a chance that the franchise continues in some other form (perhaps the long-in-development TV series might come to fruition), but a new film is presently not on the horizon.
However, we are in show business after all, and Sony might one day suddenly decide to greenlight a new installment if they feel the conditions to do so are perfect.
So until an official announcement makes things clear, one should not keep their hopes up for Underworld 6 hitting theatres anytime soon.
