'Outlander' star Tobias Menzies joins 'Underworld: Next Generation' as a Lycan leader

By Sachin Trivedi on August 18 2015 9:48 PM

Outlander” TV series cast member Tobias Menzies has reportedly joined “Underworld: Next Generation.” The actor is said to be playing the role of new Lycan leader named Marius. Kate Beckinsale will be reprising her role as Selene in the movie.

Deadline reports that Menzies will be playing a “major role” in the forthcoming movie. The new role is said to be “mysterious” and there are no additional details about the character. Lycans in the movie are werewolves who can take human form, unlike another category of werewolves in the film franchise.

Lycans and the vampires in “Underworld” are shown to be in a state of war for centuries. Vampires had been using the werewolves as slaves to do their bidding in the ancient times, but due to certain circumstances, war broke out between the two groups. Menzies will now be seen as the new leader of the Lycans who will continue the war between the two mythical species.

The report notes that the actor has delivered some “memorable performances” in popular TV shows like “Outlander,” “Rome,” “Game of Thrones” and “The Honourable Woman.” Some of Menzies’ other TV series include “The Night Manager” and “Catastrophe.”

This will be the first time the actor will be playing a major role in a big budget Hollywood movie. Menzies previously played the role of Villiers in the 2006 James Bond blockbuster movie “Casino Royale.”

Menzies will be joined by Beckinsale and “Divergent” series star Theo James in the forthcoming movie. Beckinsale has already signed a deal to reprise her role in the film, according to a report by The Hollywood Reporter . The movie will be directed by Anna Foerster and the report notes that she will be the first woman to take on a directorial role in the movie franchise.

The previous movies from the “Underworld” series have been directed by Mans Marlind, Bjorn Stein, Patrick Tatopoulos and Len Wiseman. Wiseman directed the first two films in the franchise that were shown in 2003 and 2006.

“Underworld: Next Generation” is slated to be released in October 2016. Menzies is currently busy filming the next season of the “Outlander” TV series and the producers of the show have reportedly allowed him to shoot simultaneously with the vampire movie.