What is the order of the Underworld movies?

In 2003, Kate Beckinsale took the lead role of Selene in the action horror movie, Underworld. The film told the story of a secret war between vampires and werewolves (aka lycans), with a vampire assassin caught in the middle.

While Underworld wasn’t a critical hit, the movie was financially successful and led to a series of follow-ups, including sequels, a prequel, and an animated feature. This post takes a look at the series as a whole, to provide details about the Underworld movies, including the all-important viewing order.

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The Underworld movies in order

Underworld (2003)

As noted above, the Underworld movie series began in 2003 with Underworld. The film revolved around Selene – a vampire Death Dealer who is on the hunt for lycans.

In the movie, Selene becomes attracted to a human, named Michael Corvin, who is being targeted by the lycans. But after Michael is bitten by a lycan, Selene has to make a difficult decision: Should she save him, or should she follow her sworn duty and kill him? (121 mins)

Underworld: Evolution (2006)

Due to the financial success of Underworld, a sequel followed in 2006 titled Underworld: Evolution. In this second instalment, Selene and Michael protect the Corvinus bloodline from its hidden past. (106 mins)

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009)

In 2009, a third film was released, titled Underworld: Rise of the Lycans. This movie was conceived as a prequel to the series, with the story set before the events of Underworld.

In this film, the origins of the core characters are explored. The movie also details the events which led to the vampire-lycan war. (89 mins)

Underworld: Endless War (2011)

The next entry in the series was the 2011 short animated movie, Underworld: Endless War. The film was composed of three short stories, which expanded the Underworld mythology through animation. (21 mins)

Underworld: Awakening (2012)

A year after the release of the animated film Underworld: Endless War, the series returned to live-action for Underworld: Awakening. This movie picked up the story a few years after the events of Underworld: Evolution, with the general public now aware of the existence of the vampires and lycans. (86 mins)

Underworld: Blood Wars (2016)

In 2016 a sixth Underworld movie was released, this time under the title Underworld: Blood Wars. In this film, the vampires and the lycans are in search of Selene, while the vampire covens are on the verge of annihilation. (91 mins)

The Underworld movies in order

To date, between live-action and animation there are six movies in the Underworld series. If you wish to watch the movies in order, you have two options: Production order and timeline order.

Production order

The first viewing order for the Underworld movies is in production order:

• Underworld (2003)
• Underworld: Evolution (2006)
• Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009)
• Underworld: Endless War (2011)
• Underworld: Awakening (2012)
• Underworld: Blood Wars (2016)

Timeline order

The second viewing order for the Underworld movies is in chronological order. You’ll note, this order is similar to the production order, the only difference is that Underworld: Rise of the Lycans becomes the first film in the series.

• Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009)
• Underworld (2003)
• Underworld: Evolution (2006)
• Underworld: Endless War (2011)
• Underworld: Awakening (2012)
• Underworld: Blood Wars (2016)

Which is the best order to watch the films in? It is entirely up to you as the viewing order doesn’t differ that much, but production order is usually best.

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Who are the cast of the Underworld movies and are the films the work of the same director?

Notable cast members in the Underworld movie series include Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Bill Nighy, Michael Sheen, Shane Brolly, Erwin Leder, Sophia Myles, Wentworth Miller, Tony Curran, Derek Jacobi, Steven Mackintosh, Rhona Mitra, Kevin Grevioux, Theo James, Lara Pulver, Tobias Menzies, Peter Andersson, Charles Dance, Laura Harris, Paul Dobson, Brian Dobson, and Mark Oliver.

In terms of the directors, the Underworld films are the work of the following:

• Len Wiseman directed Underworld and Underworld: Evolution
• Patrick Tatopolous directed Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
• Juno John Lee directed Underworld: Endless War
• Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein directed Underworld: Awakening
• Anna Foerster directed Underworld: Blood Wars

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What is the best Underworld movie?

According to IMDb, the Underworld movies are rated as follows:

• Underworld (2003) – 7.0/10
• Underworld: Evolution (2006) – 6.7/10
• Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009) – 6.5/10
• Underworld: Endless War (2011) – 6.1/10
• Underworld: Awakening (2012) – 6.3/10
• Underworld: Blood Wars (2016) – 5.7/10

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Editor/writer/were-bear

Alex Wiggan

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I hope this information about the Underworld movie series has proved useful. Should you wish to investigate other popular movie series on It’s A Stampede!, please check out the recommended reads below.