Why Theo James Bares His Fangs Again in Underworld: Blood Wars

Why Theo James Returns to a Vampire Role in Underworld: Blood Wars

First, the politically correct answer.

Ask Theo James of "Underworld: Blood Wars" why fans keep returning to the vampire franchise and he first credits star Kate Beckinsale.

"Kate is the big draw," he tells Made in Hollywood reporter Patrick Stinson. "She is this franchise. She appeals because she has that kind of genre, tough, bad-ass leading female thing. But she also has a vulnerability there that is also very watchable."

Then he lists a few other reasons: "Leather, tight tops, occasional cleavage."

https://youtu.be/S0rCjk4dheY

Theo James of Underworld: Blood Wars Got His Big Break in the Franchise

James got his big break three years playing vampire David in "Underworld: Awakening" before going on to stardom in the "Divergent" movies. He calls "Blood Wars" a happy return to the franchise.

"It's a popcorn film," he says. "You have to see it as that and not take it too seriously. As a result, it's a really fun piece of entertainment."

Theo James Says He Worked Harder This Time on Underworld: Blood Wars

Still the work was a little harder this time around. "Extremely physical," James says. "This one, it pushes the action sequence boundaries a little bit. It's trying to do a bit more than it had before. There's a lot of action."

"Blood Wars" introduces characters and story lines to keep the series moving forward, even as new director Anna Foerster, taking on a big-screen project after helming episodes of TV's "Outlander," "Madam Secretary" and "Criminal Minds," puts her own stamp on the series.

"She had a very special vision of what she wanted to do," says James. "She and Kate got on very well. She wanted to bring it back to the inception of the Underworld franchise, which is why we shot in Prague, bring it back to that kind of Gothic vibe, where the inception of the vampire lore begins in the Eastern European area."

And, of course, she's careful to keep the key elements, he says: "Lycra, blood, sexual frustration."