Filming begins in Prague today (6 October) on the fifth installment of Underworld: Blood Wars, the popular vampire-versus-werewolves saga. Leading lady Kate Beckinsale will reprise her role as a vampire “death dealer” co-starring opposite fellow British actor Theo James, who also appeared in UW4 but is best known from the sci-fi Divergence (2014). The latest addition to the cast is Lara Pulver, best known for portraying Irene Adler in the BBC series Sherlock opposite Benedict Cumberbatch.

At the helm is Anna Foerster, who has directed episodes of television series including Criminal Minds (2009-2011) and Outlander (2014-2015). She’s clocked in a lot of second-unit duty in film and is renowned for her work as director of photography on Roland Emmerich’s blockbuster Independence Day (1996) and The Day After Tomorrow (2004) and White House Down (2013). Underworld: Next Generation is a production of the L.A.-based Lakeshore Entertainment, which since 2012 has been present in Prague through its European branch, Lakeshore International. Lakeshore's Executive Vice President and Head of Production on the film, Richard Wright, says he’s been looking forward to bringing UW5 to Prague this fall. “The Czech Republic has world-class locations, great production facilities and international-caliber crew, as well as a straight-forward, efficient production rebate. It’s a great place for us to be,” Wright says. On the Czech side, the line producer for UW5 is Stillking Films, which has played a role in films such as Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011), Child 44 (2015) and the second season of the FOX 21 series Legends – which also filmed in Prague, this summer, and premieres on TNT Drama next month (2 November).