Dark, confusing times have come to America. Times of turmoil. Times when difficult choices must be made. Times when the latest entries in two surprisingly long-lived actress-centered undead-fighting action series—both due in theaters next January from the same fucking studio—can release new trailers on the same day, both featuring their respective heroines on motorcycles.
That’s exactly what The A.V. Club is for. We are here to help.
This is the trailer for Underworld: Blood Wars. It’s all blue and is set to some corny trailer music so you know that it’s completely humorless. It’s part of a series of unintentionally campy movies about a centuries-long conflict between clans of vampires and werewolves. It’s not based on a video game series, despite looking like it is. The vampires and werewolves (or “Lycans”) featured in the film are the result of a virus.
It stars Kate Beckinsale, whose talents are completely wasted on this franchise and on most movies that aren’t dry comedies. She wears a latex catsuit and a corset, which is kind of the “belt and suspenders” of entry-level fetish wear. Though heavy motorcycle boots have been part of her costume throughout the series, this is the first time she’s actually been shown riding a bike.
Like all of the Underworld movies, Blood Wars was produced by Beckinsale’s ex-husband, Len Wiseman, whom she met on the set of the first Underworld, which was released in 2003. Blood Wars is the feature directing debut of Anna Foerster, a cinematographer best known for her work with Roland Emmerich.
It hits theaters on January 7, 2017.
This is the trailer for Resident Evil: The Final Chapter. It’s mostly in burnished warm tones, but features some other colors, and is set to a Guns N’ Roses song so that you know that it’s gonna rock. It’s part of a series of pulpy, effectively standalone action-horror B-movies, some of which are pretty great. It’s based on a video game series, but only very loosely. The zombies and mutated monsters featured in the film are the result of a virus.
It stars Milla Jovovich, who was basically born for this role. She also wears heavy boots, but at least her costume has some pockets. She previously rode a BMW motorcycle in Resident Evil: Extinction and rides one here.
Like all of the Resident Evil movies, it was written and produced by Jovovich’s husband, Paul W.S. Anderson, whom she met on the set of the first Resident Evil, which was released in 2002. Anderson also directed Resident Evil: The Final Chapter.
It hits theaters on January 27, 2017.