In 2009, Hyams took over the Universal Soldier franchise, directing the film Regeneration, with Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren, which was shot mostly in Bulgaria on a budget of $9 million. Then, in 2012, he wrote and produced a sequel called Day of Reckoning, which also featured Van Damme and Lundgren. It was shot in 3D with a budget of $8 million.