Just last month, we told you that Michael Ealy (FlashForward, Californication) had signed on to play the male lead in Underworld: New Dawn. Ealy is playing a police detective who hunts the vampires and ultimately joins forces with Kate Beckinsale‘s Selene in the Screen Gems and Lakeshore Entertainment film.

Now, production on the film is officially underway in Vancouver and according to the press release, India Eisley (The Secret Life of the American Teenager) has joined the cast. Though her role hasn’t been revealed, some are speculating that she may be portraying Selene’s daughter in the film.

Press Release:

Production is underway in Vancouver, British Columbia, on the 4th installment in the highly successful Screen Gems/Lakeshore Entertainment UNDERWORLD franchise. UNDERWORLD 4 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.

Kate Beckinsale is revealing herself to be one of films’ most versatile and charismatic actresses. Beckinsale recently wrapped production on the thriller “Contraband” opposite Mark Wahlberg. She was last seen in the independent dramas “Snow Angels” opposite Sam Rockwell, and in the dark comedy “Everybody’s Fine” opposite Robert Deniro and Drew Barrymore. That same year, she also starred in the independent political drama “Nothing But The Truth” opposite Alan Alda and Matt Dillon, which garnered her great recognition for her accolade worthy performance. 
While attending Oxford University studying French and Russian literature, Beckinsale starred in Kenneth Branagh’s “Much Ado About Nothing” opposite Emma Thompson. Beckinsale’s additional film credits include the Disney epic “Pearl Harbor” opposite Ben Affleck and Josh Hartnett, “Serendipity” opposite John Cusack, “Laurel Canyon” opposite Christian Bale, and the Academy award winning film “The Aviator” opposite Leonardo Dicaprio.

India Eisley (Eve) stars as “Ashley Juergens” in ABC Family’s #1 Teen Drama and Teen Choice Award winning television series, “The Secret Life of an American Teenager,” now premiering its 3rd season in March 2011. The daughter of actress Olivia Hussey and musician David Glen Eisley, India attributes her early childhood experiences on film sets and in recording studios for igniting her passion for acting and love of films.

Following his breakout role in “Barbershop” and “Barbershop 2”, Michael Ealy (Detective Sebastian) went on to earn a Golden Globe nomination for his role in the critically acclaimed Showtime series “Sleeper Cell”. He starred in Spike Lee’s WW2 feature “Miracle At St. Anna” and Will Smith’s “Seven Pounds.” Ealy has played starring roles in Sony Screen Gems’ “Takers”; Fox Searchlight’s “Never Die Alone”; and Tyler Perry’s “For Colored Girls”, for which he received a NAACP Image Award nomination and won Best Supporting Actor from the African American Critics Association.

UNDERWORLD 4 is helmed by Swedish directors Mans Marlind & Bjorn Stein, who co-directed the 2009 thriller “Shelter” starring Julianne Moore and Jonathan Rhys Meyers. Their feature credits also include the award-winning Swedish film “Storm”.

Producing are Tom Rosenberg (“The Lincoln Lawyer,” “Million Dollar Baby,”), Gary Lucchesi (“The Lincoln Lawyer, “Million Dollar Baby,” “Underworld”), Len Wiseman (“Underworld,” “Live Free Or Die Hard”) and Richard Wright (“The Lincoln Lawyer,” “Underworld”). The film’s executive producers are David Kern (“The Lincoln Lawyer,” “Fame”), David Coatsworth (“John Adams,” “Grey Gardens”) Henry Winterstern (“Conan The Barbarian,” “Underworld Evolution”) and Skip Williamson (“Underworld: Rise of the Lycans,” “Crank”).

The screenplay for UNDERWORLD 4 is by Len Wiseman (“Underworld,” “Underworld: Evolution”), John Hlavin (“The Shield”), and Allison Burnett (“Gone,” “Fame”).

The talented behind-the-scenes team includes cinematographer Scott Kevan (“Death Race,” “The Losers”), Genie award-winning production designer Claude Pare (“Barney’s Version,” “Night At The Museum”), Academy Award nominated costume designer Monique Prudhomme (“Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus,” “Juno”), and editor Jeff McEvoy (“Wonderland,” “The Lincoln Lawyer”).

UNDERWORLD 4 is scheduled for release in January 2012.

The film is being produced by Len Wiseman (The World After), who directed the first two Underworld films. The screenplay was written by Len Wiseman (Underworld, Underworld: Evolution), John Hlavin (The Shield), and Allison Burnett (Gone, Fame). Mans Marlind and Bjorn Stein are directing

[Image Credit] Tyler Shields