PLOT

Two decades have passed since a war began between a legion of vampires and the first clan of werewolves, a breed unable to take human form. Lucian is the first werewolf born capable of taking human form and the first to be called a Lycan. Viktor, a vampire elder, raises the child, envisioning a race of Lycan slaves guarding the coven's fortress during the day and working as laborers for the vampires at night. The countryside is filled with savage werewolves born from William's rampage, and human nobles beg Viktor for protection against the beasts: he grants it in exchange for tributes of silver, which enables him to keep his slaves under control. As Lucian grows up, he and Viktor's daughter Sonja fall in love, and in their adult years they begin a secretive intimate relationship. Sonja is reckless and insubordinate, and one night Lucian escapes the shackles preventing him from turning werewolf and rescues Sonja from his werewolf brethren. Despite acknowledging that Lucian rescued his daughter, Viktor cannot forgive the escape and has Lucian whipped and imprisoned.

By trading her seat on the vampire council, Sonja enlists the help of Andreas Tanis in orchestrating Lucian's release. Lucian, unable to flee alone, liberates the other Lycans as he escapes. Sonja remains, planning to meet Lucian in three days. As she prepares to leave she is visited by her father. Viktor asks if she assisted in Lucian's escape: she denies it, but he discovers the truth by biting her neck and reading her memories through her blood. Discovering her relationship with Lucian, he imprisons her. Lucian recruits both human slaves and werewolves to build a force against the vampires. In the fortress, the vampire council and nobles demand that Viktor recapture Lucian, as his Lycans have been attacking human estates, freeing their slaves and offering them immortality as Lycans themselves. Viktor replies that he is confident Lucian will return as he has something Lucian wants: Sonja.

Lucian learns about Sonja's imprisonment and rescues her from her room, but they are stopped from escaping by Viktor. Sonja, hoping to spare Lucian's life, reveals to Viktor that she is pregnant with Lucian's child. Disgusted, Viktor overpowers her and imprisons both her and Lucian. Sonja is unanimously sentenced to death by the council at a trial presided over by her father, and is executed by exposure to sunlight in Lucian's presence.

An enraged and heartbroken Lucian turns werewolf, but his attempt to escape the fortress is thwarted by the Death Dealers. He is able to communicate with and control the wild werewolves, however, and summons them to storm the fortress. A melee ensues in which vampire council members, their aides and lesser vampire nobles are killed. Realizing that Viktor intends to flee, Lucian pursues him and they fight. Lucian traps Viktor by exposing him to shafts of sunlight and then stabs him through the mouth with a sword and pushes his body down into a nearby body of water. With the battle over, Lucian's deputy Raze declares that "it is finished", but Lucian knows this victory is only the beginning of what will become a war between the races. On a vampire ship fleeing the fortress, Viktor is revealed to have survived his wound and is sealed in an elder hibernation chamber by Tanis.

The opening scene of the first Underworld film is then shown with the voice of vampire Kraven revealing to Selene that it was Viktor who killed her family, not the Lycans. Kraven adds that Viktor spared Selene's life because she reminded him of his executed daughter Sonja. Selene, unaware of the truth, dismisses Kraven's statement as "lies".

CAST

Michael Sheen as Lucian

Alexander Carroll as Young Lucian

Bill Nighy as Viktor

Rhona Mitra as Sonja

Olivia Taylforth as Young Sonja

Steven Mackintosh as Andreas Tanis

Kevin Grevioux as Raze

David Aston as Coloman

Elizabeth Hawthorne as Orsova

Craig Parker as Sabas

Larry Rew as Kosta

Jared Turner as Xristo

Timothy Raby as Janosh

Tania Nolan as Luka

Geraldine Brophy as Nobleman's Wife

Leighton Cardno as Fearful Lycan

Jason Hood as Death Dealer

Mark Mitchinson as Nobleman

Peter Tait as Gyorg

Eleanor Williams as Teenage Girl

Edwin Wright as Death Dealer Captain

Brian Steele as Big Lycan

Kate Beckinsale as Selene (cameo role)

Shane Brolly as Kraven (archive audio)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

the third (chronologically, the first) installment in the Underworld franchise and a prequel to the 2003 film Underworld