After our earlier report on The Mortal Instruments becoming a TV show, it turns out two more female-centric action franchises are getting the small screen treatment as long-running series Resident Evil and Underworld head to TV!
Despite a delay in production due to Milla Jovovich having another baby with her husband/series mastermind Paul W.S. Anderson, the sixth film, Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, could be followed by a spin-off show from Constantin Film, according to Variety. Constantin chairman Martin Moszkowicz confirmed that the company is moving aggressively at “starting production next year on at least two or three international shows,” including Resident Evil and The Mortal Instruments.
Another bombshell was dropped at New York Comic Con, where original “Underworld” director/series caretaker Len Wiseman told IGN about a spin-off film–likely Underworld: Next Generation starring Theo James’ David from the fourth film–as well as his wife Kate Beckinsale’s return in a different film as well as a TV show!
“There’s a few things being developed right now,” said Wiseman. “There’s some characters we really liked – there’s kind of more of a spin-off of some of the characters like we did with ‘Rise of the Lycans’ and another film is being developed in the works with Kate possibly as well. And then there’s a television series as well. It’s kind of expanding that universe in many ways.”
With four and five features under their belt, respectively, clearly both Underworld and Resident Evil have enough longevity in their fanbase to sustain a transmedia empire, so TV seems like the natural place to go. With stars like Scarlett Johansson and Keanu Reeves headed to television series of their own, don’t be surprised to see Beckinsale or Jovovich at least entertaining the idea of cameos if not outright headlining the shows themselves.
