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In the early 2000s, the action horror genre was dominated by two iconic franchises: “Resident Evil” and “Underworld.” The former followed Alice, portrayed by Milla Jovovich, as she battled the undead hordes unleashed by the Umbrella Corporation’s T-virus. Meanwhile, “Underworld” chronicled the adventures of Selene, played by Kate Beckinsale, as she navigated the complex and bloody conflict between vampires and Lycans. With both series featuring strong female leads and monstrous adversaries, it’s no surprise that they attracted a similar fanbase.
Sony Pictures Releasing/Screen Gems
Hollywood noticed this overlap, as producer David Kern, involved in several “Underworld” films, revealed in a 2016 interview with Bloody Disgusting. He confessed to considering a crossover film that would merge the two franchises. “But then you wonder,” Kern mused, “are all ‘Resident Evil’ fans the same as ‘Underworld’ fans? If so, you might be cannibalizing your audience. Instead of two separate films, you’d have one, and you miss the chance to sell two different movie tickets.”
From a financial standpoint, Kern’s reasoning is sound. Despite not being critical favorites, both “Resident Evil” and “Underworld” were profitable in their own rights. Essentially, Alice and Selene thrived independently of one another.
Though the idea of Alice and Selene joining forces never came to fruition, “Underworld” had a better chance of intersecting with another 2014 action horror movie: “I, Frankenstein.” This film, inspired by Mary Shelley’s classic tale, featured Aaron Eckhart as Frankenstein’s monster, now named Adam, fighting demons to protect humanity.
Kevin Grevioux, a co-creator of “Underworld,” also penned the graphic novel that “I, Frankenstein” was based on. He contributed an early draft of the screenplay before writer-director Stuart Beattie took over. In a 2014 interview with I Am Rogue, Grevioux shared his vision of a crossover, noting that both “Underworld” and “I, Frankenstein” were produced by Lakeshore Entertainment. “In one of my early drafts, I included a post-credit scene—like those popular in Marvel films—featuring Adam and Selene,” Grevioux revealed.
Underworld almost crossed over with I, Frankenstein
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Unfortunately, “I, Frankenstein” did not perform well financially, bringing in just $76.8 million against a $65 million budget, halting any sequel or crossover plans. Yet, the crossover most fans longed for was one between “Underworld” and “Blade.” Even Kate Beckinsale expressed interest in teaming up with the Marvel vampire hunter.
“I, Frankenstein” is based on a graphic novel created by Kevin Grevioux, who is also one of the co-creators of the “Underworld” franchise. Grevioux also worked on the “I, Frankenstein” film, providing his own draft of the story before writer-director Stuart Beattie boarded the project and wrote his own script. In 2014, Grevioux revealed to I Am Rogue that since production company Lakeshore Entertainment handled both “Underworld” and “I, Frankenstein,” he harbored hopes of a crossover. “In fact, one of the early drafts I did … You know the end credit scenes that Marvel Studios does with their movies?” Grevioux said. “I actually had one with Adam and Selene.”
Since “I, Frankenstein” underperformed at the box office, with only $76.8 million from a $65 million budget, a sequel and/or crossover never moved forward. Even so, let’s be honest: The team-up we all wanted was the one between “Underworld” and “Blade.” Even Kate Beckinsale had her heart set on a crossover with the Marvel character.
