Kate Bekinsale Bitten By 'Underworld'

Kate Beckinsale will star in Lakeshore Entertainment's action film "Underworld" for first-time feature film director Len Wiseman, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

"Underworld" is described as a modern-day "Romeo and Juliet" story set in the world of vampires and werewolves, in which one lover is a vampire and the other a werewolf. The project, set against the ravages of an ancient and bloodthirsty war between vampires and werewolves, will see Beckinsale play the lead role of vampire Selene, an elegant warrior with the strength of 10 men. Although her main goal is to kill werewolves, she ends up falling in love with one.

Danny McBride wrote the script, based on an idea by him, Wiseman and Kevin Grevioux. Lakeshore chairman and CEO Tom Rosenberg, president Gary Lucchesi and senior vp production Richard Wright will produce.

Beckinsale, repped by ICM's Los Angeles and London offices, is in production on the indie film "Tiptoes," starring opposite Matthew McConaughey and Gary Oldman. She next stars in Sony Pictures Classics' "Laurel Canyon," opposite Christian Bale and Frances McDormand.