All horror movie fans are buzzing with anticipation for the new entry in the Final Destination franchise. You can't really blame them, as it's been almost 13 years since the fifth installment hit theaters, and for a long time, everyone was sure that the beloved franchise was over.
It all began with James Wong's iconic film, which premiered in the spring of 2000 and captivated audiences with a story in which Death itself was the main antagonist, hunting down those who managed to escape it one by one.
The mood set by the first film was carried over into its sequels, and as new tragic events unfolded on screen, the franchise became more addictive and legendary, and the number of phobias we developed from it grew.
We are already afraid of trucks full of logs, horizontal tanning beds, and laser eye surgery because of the franchise. So a few more fears seems like a fair price to pay for a new thrilling story about men escaping death, right?
If, like us, you're itching to get your hands on the new Final Destination, here's everything you need to know about it.
Production Status
While rumors about the new entry, ordered by Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema, have been circulating since 2019, production was delayed by the COVID pandemic and then the Hollywood strikes. It wasn't until last week that the film became a reality, with producer Craig Perry announcing the start of filming on his social media.
‘After a long, hard slog through the pandemic and the strikes, Day One is finally in the can,’ Perry wrote, according to Bloody Disgusting.
The script, based on the original story by Jon Watts, was penned by Guy Busick and Lori Evans Taylor. The director's chair went to Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein, who stunned studio bosses with a staged accident during their audition Zoom call meeting.
Working Title
In his post, Craig Perry shared an image with the new movie’s subtitle, Final Destination: Bloodlines, which is quite familiar to every horror genre fan.
‘I know, I know — Pet Sematary: Bloodlines. But this is the title we’ve had for three years, and we’re keeping it… for now,’ the producer wrote, referring to the 2023 Paramount+’s movie.
Hopefully this Bloodlines will perform much better than its predecessor.
Cast
So far, information about Final Destination: Bloodlines has been kept under wraps. The only confirmed cast member is Tony Todd, who will return as William Bludworth, the enigmatic funeral home owner who served as a sage advisor in four of the five original films.
Bloody Disgusting reported last year that the new film will finally delve into Bludworth's own history (as far back as his childhood) and explain how he became entangled in the ways of Death.
Premise
The new story will revolve around first responders, which is a natural choice for the franchise. After all, these people face death more often than others. But according to franchise creator Jeffrey Reddick, the usual Final Destination formula will change.
‘FD6 is not just going to be another kind of “we set up a group of people, they cheat death, and then just death gets them,”’ Reddick said (via Hidden Remote). ‘This is a true Final Destination movie, but it doesn’t follow that kind of formula that we’ve kind of established.’
Add in Bludworth's backstory and the subtitle, and it looks like we are in for a multi-layered examination of the universe's most important rule: Death never lets people escape.
Premiere
Has all this made you hungry for a new story? Well, we'll have to wait at least a year for the premiere.
‘2025 will mark the 25th anniversary of the release of the first installment in the franchise. To honor the occasion with another worldwide theatrical release (in IMAX, no less) is a rare and wonderful thing,’ Craig Perry wrote in his new post.
Considering that the first film was released on March 17, 2000, we can assume that the worldwide premiere of Bloodlines will take place sometime in the spring of 2025. Fingers crossed!
Sources: Bloody Disgusting, Bloody Disgusting, Hidden Remote.