Lycan Dens

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Centuries prior to the film's main timeline, a war began between vampire legions and the Lycans, following Lucian's rebellion against his vampire masters. Lucian emerged as the first of his kind capable of assuming human shape, raised by Elder Viktor to serve as a slave guarding the fortress during daylight hours. The countryside was already overrun with savage werewolves born from William's rampage, prompting human nobles to beg Viktor for protection in exchange for silver tributes used to forge silver weapons against the werewolves. As Lucian matured, he and Sonja began a secretive intimate relationship. When Lucian escaped his shackles to rescue Sonja from werewolves (William's offspring), Viktor punished him severely despite acknowledging the act of bravery. This event set the stage for the rebellion, as Lucian later liberated other Lycans and recruited human slaves to build a force against the vampires.

In Their Own Story

Sonja traded her seat on the vampire council to enlist Andreas Tanis in orchestrating Lucian's release from prison. As they planned their escape, Sonja remained behind, intending to meet Lucian three days later. However, Viktor discovered her deception by biting her neck and reading her memories through her blood, learning of her relationship with Lucian. He imprisoned both of them after she revealed she was pregnant. At a trial presided over by Viktor himself, the vampire council unanimously sentenced Sonja to death by exposure to sunlight, which was carried out in front of an enraged Lucian. In his grief, Lucian turned werewolf and, unable to escape alone, communicated with wild werewolves to summon them for an assault on the fortress. The ensuing melee killed numerous vampire council members and nobles. Lucian eventually confronted Viktor, trapping him in sunlight before stabbing him through the mouth and pushing his body into water. Although Raze declared victory, Lucian knew it was only the beginning of a full-scale war.

Reader's Guide

The film premiered at ArcLight Hollywood on January 22, 2009, with its US release following on January 23 by Sony Pictures Releasing. It grossed over $91 million globally against a $35 million budget but received generally negative reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes reported that only 29% of critics gave it positive reviews based on 76 entries, while Metacritic assigned an average score of 44. Despite the critical reception, audiences polled by CinemaScore awarded it a "B+" grade. The film stars Michael Sheen as Lucian, Bill Nighy as Viktor, and Rhona Mitra, with Kevin Grevioux also featured. It was followed in 2012 by Underworld: Awakening, which served as a direct sequel to Underworld: Evolution (2006), continuing the franchise's timeline.

Did You Know?

• Michael Sheen's performance as Lucian was widely cited by critics like Joe Leydon and Manohla Dargis as the film's greatest asset.
• The opening scene of the original Underworld (2003) is shown at the end, where Kraven reveals that Viktor killed Selene's family, not Lycans.
• Viktor is killed by Selene in Underworld (2003) and does not survive.
• The film opened at number 1 at the box office with $8.05 million and dropped to second place behind Paul Blart: Mall Cop in its second weekend.
• Kate Beckinsale, who played Selene in previous films, appears only briefly at the very end of this prequel.