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The blood war between vampires and werewolves erupted to a No. 1 opening at the Philippine box office as Columbia Pictures' Underworld: Rise of the Lycans grossed a staggering P19.65 million for the three-day-weekend opening period (January 23-25). Victor Cabrera, managing director of Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc, announced this last January 26.

That figure marks the biggest bow ever for the highly successful franchise, smashing the openings of 2003's Underworld and 2006's Underworld: Evolution, as well as the similarly themed Blade movies.

The Top 20 cinemas the posted the highest receipts are Trinoma (P1,498,280), SM Mall of Asia (P1.15 million), SM Megamall (P1.12million), Glorietta 4 (P1.03 million), SM North EDSA (P961,701), SM Cebu (P838,134), Gateway (P712,626), Ayala Cebu (P667,066), Greenbelt 3 (P646,269), and Robinsons Ermita (P607,924).

Completing the list are Alabang Town Center (P606,541), SM Manila (P 512,504), Power Plant (P455,875), Festival Mall (P419,1500, SM San Lazaro (P415,046), Robinsons Galleria (P412,074), Greenhills (P390,060), Sta. Lucia East (P381,996), Market! Market! (P367,704) and SM Sta. Rosa (P363,352).

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans goes back in time to depict the origins of the conflict between the aristocratic Vampires, known as Death Dealers, and the barbaric Lycans, a line of fierce werewolves. With more eye-popping CGI and astounding creature effects than either of its predecessors, Lycans reveals some of the hit franchise's most compelling secrets.

In his review in Variety, film critic Joe Lleydon describes Rise of the Lycans as "a satisfyingly exciting monster rally that often plays like a period swashbuckler...notably less frenetic (and appreciably more coherent) than its predecessors.

"Star Rhona Mitra has undeniable screen presence—she's easy on the eyes and handy with a sword—and her performance is more than adequate... suitably spirited while hacking her way through clusters of lycanthropes," continues Lleydon.

"On the other hand, Michael Sheen is robustly dynamic as Lucian, a character portrayed as an arch-villain in the earlier Underworld pics. Here, Lucian actually is the hero—a little like a Spartacus of the Lycans, leading enslaved humans and werewolves in a rebellion against their cruel vampire masters—and Sheen hits all the right notes in a star-powered performance," Lleydon concludes.

Still playing across the Philippines, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.