Final Destination: Bloodlines – A New Chapter in the Iconic Horror Franchise
The Final Destination franchise, renowned for its chilling premise of cheating death only to face its relentless pursuit, returns with its sixth instalment, Final Destination: Bloodlines, set to hit UK cinemas and IMAX on 14 May 2025. Directed by Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein, this legacy sequel promises to deliver the series’ signature inventive death scenes whilst introducing fresh twists to keep fans on edge. With early reactions calling it one of the finest entries yet and a heartfelt tribute to the late Tony Todd, who reprises his role as the enigmatic William Bludworth, Bloodlines is shaping up to be a must-see for horror enthusiasts. Here’s a deep dive into the upcoming film and a look back at the five films that paved the way.
What to Expect from Final Destination: Bloodlines
Final Destination: Bloodlines follows college student Stefanie Lewis (Kaitlyn Santa Juana), who inherits a premonition from her grandmother, thrusting her into a deadly game to break a cycle of death and save her family. The film introduces a major twist to the franchise’s formula: the opening premonition takes place in 1969, with the narrative shifting to the present day through a different character’s perspective. This change, teased by director Zach Lipovsky, aims to throw viewers “for a loop” with unpredictable twists and turns. The cast includes fresh faces like Teo Briones, Richard Harmon, Owen Patrick Joyner, Anna Lore, and Brec Bassinger, alongside Tony Todd in his final on-screen performance as Bludworth, the cryptic mortician who explains death’s rules.
Early reactions praise the film’s “glorious and inventive” kills, emotional depth, and expansion of the franchise’s lore. A standout moment is a record-breaking stunt featuring 71-year-old Yvette Ferguson, the oldest stuntperson to be set alight on camera, in the 1969 premonition sequence. The trailer, which garnered 25 million views in its first day, showcases gruesome death traps, including a nose piercing caught in a ceiling fan chain and an MRI setup that promises agonising suspense. With a narrative that spans timelines and a touching send-off for Tony Todd, Bloodlines is poised to honour the series’ legacy whilst pushing it into new territory.
Synopsis
The newest chapter in New Line Cinema’s bloody successful franchise takes audiences back to the very beginning of Death’s twisted sense of justice – “Final Destination Bloodlines.” Plagued by a violent recurring nightmare, college student Stefanie heads home to track down the one person who might be able to break the cycle and save her family from the grisly demise that inevitably awaits them all.
A Look Back at the Final Destination Series
The Final Destination franchise, launched in 2000, has captivated audiences with its unique premise: a group of people escape a catastrophic event after a premonition, only to be hunted by death in elaborate, Rube Goldberg-style accidents. Here’s a brief overview of the five films that built this iconic horror saga:
Final Destination (2000)
Directed by James Wong, the original Final Destination introduced the chilling concept of death as an unstoppable force. High school student Alex Browning (Devon Sawa) has a premonition of Flight 180 exploding shortly after take-off. After he and a few others are removed from the plane, it crashes, but the survivors soon face bizarre and deadly accidents. Tony Todd’s debut as William Bludworth, a mysterious mortician, hints at death’s inescapable design. The film’s blend of suspense, gore, and existential dread set the tone for the series, grossing over £88 million worldwide on a £18 million budget.
Synopsis
When a teenager has a premonition that the plane he's about to board is going to explode, he throws a fit and gets him and his friends kicked off it. Shockingly, the plane crashes. As the group begins to die mysteriously one by one, the remaining survivors must try to figure out what is going on before they join the other victims.
Final Destination 2 (2003)
Directed by David R. Ellis, Final Destination 2 upped the ante with more elaborate death sequences. College student Kimberly Corman (A.J. Cook) has a vision of a catastrophic highway pile-up and prevents it, saving several strangers. However, death begins claiming them in gruesome ways, from a ladder mishap to a fiery explosion. Tony Todd returns as Bludworth, offering cryptic advice about “new life” to cheat death. The film’s iconic log lorry sequence and creative kills solidified the franchise’s reputation for shocking set pieces, earning £71 million globally.
Synopsis
The sequel to the hit 2000 supernatural thriller, finds Clear Rivers (Ali Larter) the only survivor of the crash of Flight 180 left alive. Locked away by her own choice in the perceived safety of a psychiatric hospital, Clear now lives in constant terror that Death is coming to claim her, as it did all her friends.
Final Destination 3 (2006)
James Wong returned to direct Final Destination 3, focusing on high school senior Wendy Christensen (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), who foresees a roller coaster derailment. After saving a few classmates, death pursues them through tanning bed malfunctions, gym accidents, and a fireworks disaster. This entry leaned into the series’ dark humour and introduced the concept of photographs as clues to impending deaths. Whilst Bludworth doesn’t appear, the film’s inventive kills and strong lead performance made it a fan favourite, grossing £92 million worldwide.
Synopsis
High school student Wendy Christensen fails to stop the ill-fated rollercoaster ride that she predicted would cause the deaths of several of her friends.
The Final Destination (2009)
The fourth instalment, directed by David R. Ellis, is often considered the weakest due to its rushed 3D effects and thinner plot. College student Nick O’Bannon (Bobby Campo) has a vision of a racetrack collapse and saves his friends, only for death to hunt them in settings like a car wash and a shopping centre escalator. The film leaned heavily on 3D gimmicks, with kills like a tyre flying into the audience. Lacking Tony Todd’s presence, it still earned £146 million globally, thanks to the 3D craze, but received mixed reviews.
Synopsis
A strange premonition causes friends to abandon their day at the speedway, just before a crushing pileup hurtles cars into the bleachers with fiery consequences. They have cheated Death. But Death is only getting started.
Final Destination 5 (2011)
Directed by Steven Quale, Final Destination 5 revitalised the series with a gripping story and a shocking twist. Office worker Sam Lawton (Nicholas D’Agostino) foresees a bridge collapse and saves several colleagues, but death tracks them through laser eye surgeries, acupuncture mishaps, and gym accidents. Tony Todd’s Bludworth returns, hinting at darker ways to escape death, like killing to take another’s place. The film’s 3D was praised for subtlety, and its ending tied back to the original, earning £123 million and strong fan approval.
Synopsis
Survivors of a suspension-bridge collapse learn there's no way you can cheat Death.
Why Bloodlines Matters and Where to Watch
After a 14-year hiatus since Final Destination 5, Bloodlines arrives as a celebration of the franchise’s 25th anniversary, coinciding with the original’s 2000 debut. Produced by Jon Watts (Spider-Man: No Way Home) and franchise veteran Craig Perry, the film blends nostalgia with innovation, exploring the series’ timeline and introducing new rules for cheating death. Tony Todd’s final performance adds emotional weight, with his improvised monologue described as a reflective tribute both in and out of the story. Early buzz from screenings at events like the Scary Movies festival at Film at Lincoln Center calls it a “crowd shocker” with “jaw-on-the-floor creative” kills, suggesting it could outshine its predecessors. To prepare, fans can stream Final Destination, Final Destination 2, Final Destination 3, and Final Destination 5 on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video in the UK, while The Final Destination is available on Amazon Prime Video. These platforms offer a chance to revisit key moments and catch callbacks teased in Bloodlines’ trailers. When Bloodlines releases on 14 May 2025 in the UK, it will be a theatrical exclusive, with a one-week IMAX run for maximum impact. Visit TGI Movie for the latest showtimes and cinema listings across the UK, and book film tickets early to experience this bloody, thrilling return to the Final Destination universe.