Death always has a plan. That’s been the eerie foundation of the Final Destination franchise since its debut in 2000. Over the years, we’ve seen fate catch up to those who escaped it—be it on a plane, a highway, a racetrack, or a bridge. But one question has lingered: where did it all begin? The upcoming film, Final Destination: Bloodlines, finally answers that chilling mystery, pulling the thread all the way back to its origins.

Directors Adam Stein and Zach Lipovsky are bringing a fresh yet deeply rooted take on the franchise, intertwining its established lore with an unsettling new perspective. The first trailer has dropped, and if you thought past entries were nerve-wracking, this one is poised to make you rethink every “coincidence” in your life.

A Family Curse That Spans Generations

Final Destination has always thrived on the idea that fate is inescapable. Bloodlines takes this to another level by diving into an incident that happened 50 or 60 years ago, long before Alex Browning’s premonition on Flight 180. This time, death isn’t just coming for a group of friends—it’s targeting an entire family, tracing back to a grandmother who was supposed to die but somehow survived. The repercussions of that single deviation ripple through time, and now, after decades, death is returning to claim what was always meant to be.

It’s an unsettling premise that raises all kinds of possibilities for the franchise. If the curse can be traced back this far, what other period settings could be explored in future films? Could we see a Final Destination movie set in the 1800s? The potential is limitless, and this new direction could breathe new life into a series that has always found inventive ways to keep audiences on edge.

A Cast Ready to Face Death’s Wrath

While Final Destination: Bloodlines doesn’t boast an A-list cast, it brings together a solid ensemble ready to endure some of the franchise’s signature, brutal, Rube Goldberg-style deaths. The film stars Kaitlyn Santa Juana, Teo Briones, Richard Harmon, Owen Patrick Joyner, Anna Lore, and Brec Bassinger—names that might not be household yet, but if past films have taught us anything, they might not need to be. The real star here has always been death itself.

That said, there’s one name that carries immense weight—the late Tony Todd. A legend in the horror community, Todd has been the eerie connective tissue of the Final Destination series, portraying the ominous William Bludworth. His deep, foreboding voice and cryptic warnings have added an extra layer of terror, making his return in Bloodlines all the more significant. Sadly, Todd passed away on November 6, 2024, making this one of his final performances. It’s hard not to feel emotional about it—his presence in horror will be terribly missed, and I’d love to watch the film just to see him on screen one last time. You have to believe that if he knew Final Destination would be one of his final films, he’d probably have smiled at the irony.

Mark Your Calendars – May 16

Written by Guy Busick and Lori Evans Taylor, from a story by Jon Watts, Busick, and Evans Taylor, Final Destination: Bloodlines is set to hit theaters on May 16. The film not only promises to deliver the franchise’s signature brand of carnage but also expands on the lore in a way that could reshape everything we thought we knew about death’s design.

If you’ve ever wondered why these elaborate death sequences keep happening or where it all started, Bloodlines has the answer. And from the looks of the trailer, the road to uncovering it will be paved with some of the most horrifyingly creative death scenes yet.