Deadline reports Bradley James will co-star opposite Kate Beckinsale and Theo James in the upcoming Underworld 5. James will play the main villain in the film, which begins production in Prague in October. James recently appeared as the undead Lowell in The CW’s iZombie and continues his genre streak by starring as the Antichrist in the upcoming A&E series Damien.
The first Underworld installment came out in 2003 and introduced Beckinsale’s Selene, a vampire caught up in the never-ending war between vampires and Lycans (a specific breed of werewolves, for the uninitiated). The first film, directed by Len Wiseman, was followed by Underworld: Evolution in 2006, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans in 2009, and Underworld: Awakening in 2012. Underworld 5—also called Underworld: Next Generation—will reportedly focus on a new generation of vampires and werewolves who pick up the war where their relatives left it. Like we said, it’s a never-ending war doomed to franchise obligations for all of eternity.
In addition to James, Underworld 5 also stars Tobias Menzies as a werewolf. Anna Foerster is set to direct the new Underworld installment, and previously directed Menzies in the Starz series Outlander. Foerster, who is also set to direct the Source Code sequel, will be the first woman to direct an Underworld film. Foerster directed some of the best episodes in Outlander’s first season, including the wedding episode and the season finale.
Underworld 5 is slated to premiere on October 21, 2016.