Sony Pictures has announced that they are pushing back the release date of the Screen Gems film Underworld 4 from September 23, 2011 to January 20, 2012. The film stars Kate Beckinsale (Whiteout), Michael Sheen (Tron: Legacy) and Bill Nighy (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I).

Len Wiseman (The World After), who directed the first two Underworld films is producing and John Hlavin (The Shield) penned the screenplay.

Last year Hlavin said that the forthcoming film will not be a prequel like the recent Underworld: Rise of the Lycans.

“It will satisfy old fans and excite new audiences, meaning that we don’t want to redo the first three movies, so steps are being taken to honor what fans have loved but at the same time introduce fresh elements”

Underworld 4 is slated to hit 2D & 3D screens on January 20th, 2012