Vampires, werewolves and humans may spell romantic drama in the Twilight universe, but in the Underworld, they mean action and horror. Kate Beckinsale, in her trademark skintight black togs, returns as Selene in Underworld: Awakening, the fourth film in the action-horror franchise (yes, it goes on!!!). The ensemble cast includes Sandrine Holt, Michael Ealy and India Eisley in roles new to the series. Directed by Mans Marlind and Bjorn Stein, Underworld: Awakening is the second sequel — the first film, Underworld (2003), was followed by a sequel, Underworld: Evolution (2006), and a prequel, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009).

Shot in 3D, the Screen Gems and Lakeshore Entertainment film has been scripted by Len Wiseman, John Hlavin and Allison Burnett. Tom Rosenberg, Gary Lucchesi, Len Wiseman and Richard Wright served as producers, while David Kern, David Coatsworth, Henry Winterstern and Skip Williamson were executive producers.

What’s the Awakening all about? Vampire warrior Selene, long involved in a war between the vampire and lycan races (evolved werewolves who can shift between human and wolf form), has been held in cryogenic suspension by the humans for the last 12 years. She breaks out of custody to find herself in a brand new world. Humans have woken up to the existence of the vampire and lycan clans, and have kicked off an all-out war to eradicate both the immortal species. When Selene flees the facility, a young hybrid, Eve (Eisley), also escapes. What’s in store for Selene now? Will the vampire warrior beat the odds and triumph to emerge as the saviour of the Underworld?

Awakening also brings to the fore Selene’s personal journey. The warrior finds out that she has a 14-year-old daughter, a vampire-lycan hybrid, a discovery that leads to a visible growth in her character arc. Even as the presence of a daughter leads to a visible softness and rise in emotional quotient, it also brings out the tiger in her. So Selene’s more brutal, more feral and more badass!

Underworld creator Len Wiseman chose Sw­edish directing duo Stein and Marlind to helm the $75 million sequel. The Swedish duo’s pitch for the new film centred on three key elements — intense action scenes, some new additions to the Und­erworld universe, and an “emotional gut punch” for Selene. Motherhood, according to Marlind, brings out the best and the worst in Selene, something not seen till now. Selene has been “in control in every film, never off balance”, he says.

Stein and Marlind dub their directing style “every second day” — one of them acts as director one day, the other assists. The next day, they switch roles. The two, who believe that sharing the director’s spot helps them recharge and provide sufficient time to production, paid attention when it came to the tone and feel of the franchise. Their strong love for the horror genre helped add to the film’s action-horror atmosphere.

Awakening is one of the first films to be shot using Red Epic digital cameras in 3D. The Red Epic eliminates ghosting and provides a crisper image, an advantage as shooting 3D tends to lead to loss of resolution. Awakening shares its release date with director Steven Soderbergh’s action-packed Hay­wire, which toplines Gina Carano, Antonio Ban­deras, Michael Douglas, Ewan McGregor, Channing Tatum and Michael Fassbender. Will the vampire warrior trying to save her clan score over a black ops super soldier, seeking payback after she was be­trayed? You decide!