Kate Beckinsale's UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING to Face Gina Carano's HAYWIRE in Theaters

The fourth installment of the popular Underworld film franchise, starring Kate Beckinsale and Michael Ealy, has received a new title and release date.

Underworld: Awakening brings a stunning new dimension to the epic battle between Vampires and Lycans, as the first film in the franchise to shoot in 3D. Kate Beckinsale, star of the first two films, returns in her lead role as the vampire warrioress Selene, who escapes imprisonment to find herself in a world where humans have discovered the existence of both Vampire and Lycan clans, and are conducting an all-out war to eradicate both immortal species.

Underworld: Awakening is helmed by Swedish directors Mans Marlind & Bjorn Stein off of a screenplay by Len Wiseman, and also stars India Eisley and Michael Ealy. Sony Pictures has now established a theatrical release date of January 20th, 2010 for the film; which will pit it against the upcoming action-thriller Haywire from Relativity Media.

Mixed martial arts (MMA) superstar Gina Carano makes her feature film debut in Haywire, starring and performing her own high-adrenaline stunts. The film’s talented cast also includes Channing Tatum, Ewan McGregor, Michael Fassbender, Antonio Banderas, Bill Paxton, Michael Douglas and Michael Angarano.

An electrifying tale of espionage and betrayal, the film focuses on a female covert ops specialist (Carano), who works in the deadly world of international operatives, strikes back after discovering she’s been double-crossed by someone close to her in the agency.