Final Destination: Bloodlines is the sixth entry in the iconic horror franchise, with the last installment having been released 14 years ago. This particular sequel feels special, however, because its storytelling spin offers a unique approach to the familiar premise that fans love so much.
Bloodlines follows a large, close-knit family who are being hunted by Death itself. As it turns out, their existence is a crime against the franchise villain, all thanks to their grandma. She cheated her fate thanks to a premonition she had in the 1950s that saved hundreds of lives that were never meant to be spared.
The Direct's Russ Milheim sat down with Final Destination: Bloodlines directors Adam Stein and Zach Lipovsky, who teased that they are aiming for this new sequel to be one of the biggest yet (something that lines up with Bloodlines' positive reactions). Final Destination: Bloodlines is playing in theaters now.
Final Destination: Bloodlines Director on the Film's Budget
The Directing Duo Aimed to Create the Biggest 'Final Destination' Ever.
- The Direct: "These movies have always been kind of very effective with kind of a low, mid budget range, with this new one, was the budget pretty similar to other ones? Or did they give you even more tools and resources than usual?"
Adam Stein: I mean, the budget was similar to the others. In fact, we had, we ended up having fewer days than before. But we come from a very scrappy, independent film background, so for us, it was a lot of tools. We and we were able to stretch the budget, put as much gory spectacle on screen as we could, you know, it was, you never have enough time or money, but it was, it was really exciting to be able to, you know, just create what we think is the biggest feeling 'Final Destination' ever created.
The Crazy Pitch for Final Destination That the World Will Never See
"They Didn't Record the Zoom Call..."
- The Direct: "My first question is, you know, I hear you guys had a crazy pitch, but what I really want to ask about is, where's the footage of it?"
Adam Stein: It's crazy because it was actually a live experience. And they didn't record the Zoom call, so it was a one-time only thing, I guess. We had parts of it that were pre-recorded, but we really enjoyed the magic trick of making it live, because we were talking, pitching live, and then things started to go wrong, and the 'Final Destination,' Rube Goldberg unfolded, you know, to execute me. Basically, I got decapitated. Took a while to grow my head back, so close to being a single director again.
Why the Concept of 'Bloodlines' Caught Their Attention
While They Thought 'Final Destination 5' Was a Great Ending, It Was the Family Angle That Opened the Door for More.
- The Direct: "So, the movie is called 'Bloodlines,' right? It follows death hunting down a family. What is it about that idea that really spoke to you guys and like in evolving the franchise? And then also, how do you think it's going to paint the whole series in a new light for long-term fans?"
Zach Lipovsky: We heard that it was about a family [and] we were so interested because 'Final Destination 5' had such an amazing ending, it kind of felt like it wrapped the franchise up in a really great way. And we have the same question of like, how do you keep this fresh? How do you evolve it? What is the reason for making a new one?
And as you really start to unwrap, making it about a family, it added so many new details, it allowed us to put a lot more meat on the bone, if you will, about creating characters that really care about each other, that have all these secret grudges and things like that, but when someone's next on death's list, the stakes are just so much higher when it's a family member. And that allowed the film to be really, really meaningful and really juicy in that way.
It also allowed us to have an opening premonition that's a period piece that's much earlier and in a different way than you're used to, another 'Final Destination' movies. And that allowed us to kind of right away tell the audience this is going to be different than what you're used to.
Bloodline Directors Address Possible Involvement in Next Sequel
"Death's Work Is Never Done"
- The Direct: "The movie is tracking to already be a hit, have there been any discussions about any possible sequels? Like, are you guys gonna keep keep your toes in this franchise?"
Adam Stein: Death's work is never done. There's always more scores to settle. We've spent the last three years putting all our best ideas into this movie. We had such a great time with Jon Watts, Craig, and Sheila, the producers and the writers, brainstorming all the deliciously fun ways to kill people that we could think of. So, we don't have lots of new, fresh ideas for the next chapter right now.
Zach Lipovsky: They could be figured out. Yeah, there are always anxious thoughts that you could prey upon.
The full spoiler-free interview with the directors can be seen below:
Be sure to check out The Direct's other interviews with the cast and creatives of Final Destination: Bloodlines here:
Final Destination Producer Confirms If Sequels Will Personify Death
Final Destination: Bloodlines Cast Share Their Most Irrational Fears (Exclusive)
