Final Destination 6 Cast, Directors, Writers, And More Details
Part of what makes horror movies tick is how everyday situations can sometimes turn into horrific nightmares at the drop of a dime. This is the thrust of the long-running "Final Destination" franchise, a series of horror films that have been out of commission since its most recent entry, "Final Destination 5," back in 2011.
As longtime fans will know, the series follows a group that survives a traumatic disaster of some kind due to a psychic vision that one of them experiences. While the premonition might seem like a miracle, it soon turns into a nightmare as, one by one, the survivors die in increasingly gruesome and implausible accidents.
However, after over a decade on the back burner, the series is primed for a reboot and is set to return with "Final Destination 6." (Though the official title has been revealed to be "Final Destination: Bloodlines," we're going to be referring to it under its numerical title for now, just to keep things simple).
So, with that in mind, it's time to get ready for a whole new pile of unhappy accidents with sometimes funny, sometimes horrific results for a dwindling group of survivors. Here's everything we know so far about the upcoming reboot of the popular horror franchise where Death never takes "no" for an answer.
Is there a release date for Final Destination 6?
Unfortunately, there is no release date for "Final Destination 6," and it's unlikely that we'll be seeing it all that soon if behind-the-scenes reports are to be believed. Like many other productions, the reboot was delayed due to the SAG-AFTRA strikes. There are rumblings that the film is just starting production in January 2024, meaning we can probably expect it in late 2024 at the very earliest.
Still, the film will be "well worth the wait," according to franchise creator Jeffrey Reddick (via Collider). Perhaps strangest of all, though, is that it's taken this long for another entry in the "Final Destination" series to emerge at all. Over the years, the franchise has always been financially successful, even if critics regularly trounced it, and being that the series doesn't rely on marquee stars for its success, it seems like a big win-win.
What this could mean, though, is that Warner Bros. is trying to take the franchise to the next level. At the very least, the plot of "Final Destination 6" sounds like it's taking the concept a lot more seriously in a couple of pivotal ways. Specifically, based on who the film is set to follow, it sounds like we may not be in for the gut-busting Mouse Trap-style kills and ironic song choices of previous movies in the series.
What is the plot of Final Destination 6?
The reason why we suspect that "Final Destination 6" might be a little bit more serious than previous entries is because it's set to focus on first responders. Not only that, but according to an official poster on the film's IMDb page, the disaster that the police, firefighters, and EMTs will be responding to is set to be a collapsing tower, suggesting some serious 9/11 vibes.
Obviously, it would be in pretty bad taste to make light of that kind of real-life terrorist attack, and even if that's not the impetus for the collapsing tower (which it probably isn't), it will likely be on the minds of many viewers who remember that fateful September morning.
On a less dour note, however, the film is also set to focus on Tony Todd's recurring character, William Bludworth. Fans will recall that Todd has played the character across three different entries in the "Final Destination" franchise and that Bludworth seems to have more than a little experience with death (and Death).
"Final Destination 6" is purported to show the character's origins, suggesting that Todd could appear as the narrator and perhaps appear in a couple of bookends so that the marketing team can use him in the trailer for the upcoming film. Either way, it seems safe to say that this will likely be a different ride from previous entries.
Who will be starring in Final Destination 6?
The only actor confirmed to appear in "Final Destination 6" thus far is Tony Todd. As speculated above, however, it seems unlikely that we'll be following this version of the character for most of the movie as this is said to be an origin story explaining his background and life experience.
With this in mind, we can probably expect that there will be a younger actor playing William Bludworth for the majority of "Final Destination 6" and that at least his character will survive the events of the film... or at least its central flashback sections. It might be a good twist to see Death finally catch up with Bludworth at the end of the movie, but that would involve killing off the well-known recurring character, so it's a bit of a gamble.
We don't know who will be playing the unlucky group of first responders, but considering the variety of people who work in these fields, we could also be seeing a wider range of age groups this time around rather than the teenagers who have been the primary focus of previous films.
Who is directing Final destination 6?
Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein are set to direct "Final Destination 6." They are the duo behind the 2018 thriller "Freaks," which was well-received by both critics and general audiences alike and is likely at least partly how they found themselves helming the upcoming film.
Lipovsky and Stein landed the gig after recording elaborate death scenes for themselves during a pitch meeting over Zoom. The meeting was said to feature a fire and an out-of-control ceiling fan that fell from the roof, decapitating one of the co-directors in the process.
Though this might sound like a natural fit, the directors, who also wrote "Freaks," have an eclectic history. They worked together on the "Fraggle Rock" reboot for Apple TV+ and the "Kim Possible" movie from 2019. The duo also collaborated on the Disney superhero series "Ultra Violet and Black Scorpion."
Lest these kinds of projects temper expectations for "Final Destination 6" a bit too much, Lipovsky has also directed previous horror films like "Dead Rising," "Leprechaun: Origins," and "Tasmanian Devils." While none of those movies are likely to have horror fans too excited, Lipovsky's filmography does at least show that he has an understanding of what makes these kinds of films work and that he's no stranger to franchise territory.
Who is writing Final Destination 6?
Jeffrey Reddick, Guy Busick, and Lori Evans Taylor are the writing team behind "Final Destination 6." Reddick is the creator of the series, which began life as a spec script for "The X Files," and he served as the writer for its first two entries. He also helped to create the characters for the other three installments of the franchise and directed the 2020 revenge thriller "Don't Look Back."
Busick, for his part, is the mind behind modern horror hits like the 2018 comedy "Ready or Not," as well as both "Scream 5" and "Scream 6." On the small screen, the writer has worked on the Stephen King series "Castle Rock," and he also served as the writer for the upcoming vampire movie, "Abigail."
Lori Evans Taylor is the writer behind 63 episodes of the lusty revenge television series "Wicked Wicked Games." She also wrote the script for the Melissa Barrera psychological thriller "Bed Rest."
With this team of writers and directors behind "Final Destination 6" and the return of Tony Todd's enigmatic William Bludworth in a central role rather than a cameo, it sounds like the upcoming horror reboot could have a lot of potential. However, we'll have to wait until we can see more before we really start to get what the movie is all about.