Opening in theaters and IMAX today, May 16, 2025, Final Destination: Bloodlines marks the highly anticipated return of New Line Cinema’s iconic horror franchise. This new installment rewinds time to explore the origins of Death’s twisted rules, following a college student named Stefani as she unravels a deadly family curse.
Directed by Adam Stein and Zach Lipovsky and starring Kaitlyn Santa Juana, Tony Todd, and Brec Bassinger, the film adds a fresh emotional core and blood-soaked suspense to a franchise that has captivated audiences for over two decades. With practical effects, inventive kills, and a terrifying IMAX presentation, this chapter promises to pull in longtime fans and newcomers alike.
How did you both first get involved in bringing Final Destination back to life?
Zach Lipovsky: When we heard Warner Bros. was reimagining the franchise and leaning into a more character-driven story, we knew we had to be a part of it. We even staged our own fake death during the pitch meeting to prove we understood the DNA of Final Destination.
Adam Stein: The idea, from producer Jon Watts, focused on a family bloodline — Death targeting an entire family tree. It was an angle we hadn’t seen in the franchise before. That emotional core really spoke to us.
What was it about the Final Destination franchise that made it special for you?
Adam Stein: Everyone has intrusive thoughts — those flashes of “what if that thing just snapped and impaled me?” Final Destination is about what happens if those fears were real. It also deals with fate: Can you change your path, or is it set in stone?
Zach Lipovsky: And there’s no masked killer. Death itself is the antagonist. That idea of the invisible, inescapable villain is what makes the franchise so uniquely terrifying.
How did you approach designing the film’s death scenes?
Zach Lipovsky: We broke down every previous film to identify the different types of death setups. Sometimes the audience knows what’s coming, sometimes the characters do, and sometimes no one does. We wanted to honor all those formats but also surprise audiences with new approaches.
Adam Stein: It’s all about expectation and misdirection. You build tension around an object, and then BAM — the kill comes from somewhere else. It’s a magic trick in cinematic form.
What was most fun — and most challenging?
Adam Stein: The death setups are a filmmaker’s dream. Every close-up, every insert becomes part of Death’s plan. It’s the direction and editing that become the killer. That’s fun.
Zach Lipovsky: But it’s also hard. The audience knows someone’s going to die. So how do you still surprise them? You have to mislead, play with rhythm, and constantly outsmart your viewers.
You shot this for IMAX. How did that affect your approach?
Adam Stein: The IMAX format gave us a huge tool to heighten emotion. For each death scene, we picked a moment where the screen would expand — signaling that Death had arrived. It’s subtle, but for audiences really paying attention, it adds another layer of suspense.
What role did practical effects play in the film’s production?
Zach Lipovsky: We tried to do as much practically as possible. Built a restaurant and blew it up. Built a cabin and blew it up. When real objects get destroyed on screen, your brain registers the stakes differently. Then VFX adds that extra edge.
Adam Stein: That balance is what makes the kills feel real. You can’t fully emotionally invest in CGI carnage. But if we crush a real thing and enhance it digitally, it hits hard.
What was the wildest thing that happened during production?
Adam Stein: Honestly? Getting flooded with people asking us to kill them in the movie. Hundreds of fans were like, “Please let me die!”
Zach Lipovsky: It’s a testament to how much fun this franchise is. People want to be part of a Final Destination death. That’s the kind of twisted joy these movies tap into.
What’s unique about this film’s emotional core?
Adam Stein: This time, the characters are a family. It’s not just random classmates or strangers. That raises the stakes emotionally. You’re watching people try to save each other instead of just themselves.
Zach Lipovsky: It made the story more personal. And when it’s personal, the deaths hit harder. You feel every loss more deeply.
Final thoughts on being part of the Final Destination legacy?
Zach Lipovsky: We grew up with these films. We still say, “That was a Final Destination moment” when something weird happens. It’s part of culture now.
Adam Stein: The fact that kids who weren’t even alive for the original film are obsessed with it on TikTok and YouTube? That told us we had a responsibility to make this the most intense, emotional, and surprising Final Destination yet.
Zach Lipovsky: And we’re really proud of the ride. Terrified. But proud.
Final Destination: Bloodlines is now playing exclusively in theaters and IMAX. Whether you’re a longtime fan or a newcomer looking for your next horror obsession, this twisted trip into fate and family promises to be one of the most chilling experiences of the year.
Just remember: Death doesn’t like to be cheated.
The Geek is a working screenwriter, director and UCLA screenwriting instructor.
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