The Final Destination franchise is headed back to the big screen, with the upcoming sixth entry, Bloodlines, set to land on the 2025 movie schedule. The pentalogy of scary flicks has carved out a permanent spot in horror history, thanks to its creative death scenes and unique concept. Looking back, though, one of the film’s original writers admits they have one major regret, and it’s pretty hilarious.
Producer and co-writer Glen Morgan reflected on how he, director James Wong, and original writer Jeffrey Reddick pushed back against studio pressure to create a personified version of Death. Morgan explained to Empire Magazine (via Comicbook.com) that the team rejected the idea of a visible villain in favor of something more abstract, an unseen force that kills with eerie precision. It gave the film its edge but, now, Morgan jokes about why they might’ve talked themselves out of millions:
It was kind of Death personified. We were both like, ‘You can’t see Death, and you can’t beat it?’ So we pitched, ‘Death’s just a force.’ And they [New Line] said, ‘Cool!’, much to our surprise. But now every Halloween I go, ‘We blew it!’ There’s no costume to buy, there’s no action figure.
Talk about irony? That creative decision to keep Death an abstract idea helped make the movie a hit and probably cost the creators a whole line of collectibles. Still, the approach made Final Destination stand out in a genre saturated with masked killers and demonic entities.
Collectively, the films have become known not for who kills, but how, through elaborate, chain-reaction death scenes that make everyday scenarios suddenly feel dangerous. Still, I understand why the scribe feels like an opportunity was missed. Iconic horror villains like Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers and Ghostface have long reigned over the Halloween costume aisle, and Final Destination never offered fans a face to latch onto.
Jeffrey Reddick, who wrote the original script and shares story credit, initially shaped a more traditional horror structure. However, with Glen Morgan and James Wong’s involvement while making the leap from TV to film, the project evolved into something smarter and more psychological. Fans will hopefully continue to appreciate this move, even if it means there’d never be a Death action figure beside Chucky or Annabelle.
Final Destination, with masked villain or no masked villain, still gets a lot of love and is considered one of the best horror movies. You can see its impact throughout modern horror, especially how it’s been parodied and copied. Those crazy Rube Goldberg-style death scenes are super recognizable, even though there isn’t a traditional villain involved. If the teaser for Bloodlines is anything to go by, we might see some brand new ways to bite the dust that could top what we’ve seen before, and I’m all for it. Honestly, I wouldn’t be shocked if this ends up being the best sequel in the series!
The long-anticipated upcoming horror movie, Final Destination: Bloodlines, hits theaters on May 16th. Morgan, Wong, and Reddick may not have cashed in on merch back in the day but, with the return of the series, and all previous films now streaming with a Max subscription, they might just see another payday.