''Final Destination'' is an American
horror franchise that includes five films, two comic books, and nine novels. It is based on an unproduced
spec script
A spec script, also known as a speculative screenplay, is a non-commissioned and unsolicited screenplay. It is usually written by a screenwriter who hopes to have the script optioned and eventually purchased by a producer, production company, or ...
by
Jeffrey Reddick
Jeffrey Reddick (born 12 July 1969) is an American screenwriter and film director, best known for creating the ''Final Destination'' franchise.
Life and career
Reddick was born in Jackson, Kentucky and attended Breathitt County High School. H ...
, originally written for ''
The X-Files
''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction on television, science fiction drama (film and television), drama television series created by Chris Carter (screenwriter), Chris Carter. The series revolves around Federal Bureau of Investigation ...
'' television series, and was distributed by
New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema is an American film production studio owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and is a film label of Warner Bros. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye as an independent film distribution company; later becoming a film studio after acq ...
. All of its five films are set around a small group of people who escape impending death after one individual (the protagonist) sees a sudden
premonition
A premonition is a feeling that some event will happen, typically a forewarning of something unwelcome.
Premonition(s) or The Premonition may also refer to:
Film and television
* "Premonition" (''Alfred Hitchcock Presents''), an episode of ' ...
and warns them about a major disaster that is about to happen. After avoiding their foretold deaths, the survivors are killed one by one in bizarre accidents caused by an unseen force creating complicated chains of cause and effect, resembling
Rube Goldberg machine
A Rube Goldberg machine, named after American cartoonist Rube Goldberg, is a chain reaction-type machine or contraption intentionally designed to perform a simple task in an indirect and (impractically) overly complicated way. Usually, these machi ...
s, and then read omens sent by another unseen entity in order to again avert their deaths.
The series is noteworthy among other horror films for its use of an antagonist that is not a stereotypical slasher or other physical being, but
Death
Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...
manifested, subtly manipulating circumstances in the environment with a design on claiming anyone who previously escaped their fated demise. In addition to the films, a novel series, which includes the novelizations of the first three films, was published throughout 2005 and 2006 by
Black Flame. A one-shot comic book titled ''Final Destination: Sacrifice'' was released alongside select DVDs of ''Final Destination 3'' in 2006, and a comic book series titled ''Final Destination: Spring Break'' was published by
Zenescope Entertainment
Zenescope Entertainment is a comic book and graphic novel publisher headquartered in Horsham, Pennsylvania, United States, co-founded by Joe Brusha and Ralph Tedesco in 2005. Zenescope publishes full-color action, fantasy and horror titles.
Unde ...
in 2007.
Background
''Final Destination'' was written by
Jeffrey Reddick
Jeffrey Reddick (born 12 July 1969) is an American screenwriter and film director, best known for creating the ''Final Destination'' franchise.
Life and career
Reddick was born in Jackson, Kentucky and attended Breathitt County High School. H ...
after having "read a story about a woman who was on vacation and her mom called her and said, 'Don't take the flight tomorrow, I have a really bad feeling about it. The woman switched flights and the plane she was originally supposed to take crashed. Originally having written the script as an episode of ''
The X Files
''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction drama television series created by Chris Carter. The series revolves around Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), who ...
'', Reddick decided to turn the script into a feature-length film at the behest of one of his
New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema is an American film production studio owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and is a film label of Warner Bros. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye as an independent film distribution company; later becoming a film studio after acq ...
colleagues. After reading his spec script, New Line Cinema hired Reddick to write the screenplay;
James Wong and
Glen Morgan
Glen Morgan (born July 12, 1961) is an American television producer, writer and director. He is best known for co-writing episodes of the Fox science fiction supernatural drama series ''The X-Files'' with his partner, James Wong. He served as ...
were later brought on board to help with the script, making alterations to comply with their standards.
It was based on the fateful flight
TWA 800
Trans World Airlines (TWA) was a major American airline which operated from 1930 until 2001. It was formed as Transcontinental & Western Air to operate a route from New York City to Los Angeles via St. Louis, Kansas City, and other stops, with F ...
, specifically, the 16 students and 5 adults of the Montoursville HS.
Films
''Final Destination'' (2000)
In the original ''Final Destination'', high school student
Alex Browning
Alexander Theodore Browning is a fictional character in the ''Final Destination'' series created by Jeffrey Reddick and portrayed by Canadian actor Devon Sawa. As the series' most popular character, Alex serves as the protagonist of the origina ...
(
Devon Sawa
Devon Edward Sawa (born September 7, 1978) is a Canadian actor. Sawa began acting when he was a teenager and appeared in several films in the 1990s including '' Little Giants'', ''Casper'', '' Now and Then'', '' Wild America'', ''Idle Hands'', a ...
) boards Volée Airlines Flight 180 with his classmates for a field trip to
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
. Before take-off, Alex has a premonition that the plane will explode in mid-air, killing everyone on board. When the events from his vision begin to repeat themselves in reality, he panics, and a fight breaks out, which leads to several passengers being left behind, including
Clear Rivers
Clear Marie Rivers is a fictional character from the ''Final Destination'' film series. Created by Jeffrey Reddick and portrayed by Ali Larter, the character first appeared in '' Final Destination'' (2000) as a high school senior who, after ...
(
Ali Larter
Alison Elizabeth Larter (born February 28, 1976) is an American actress and model. She portrayed fictional model Allegra Coleman in a 1996 ''Esquire'' magazine hoax and took on guest roles on several television shows in the 1990s. She made he ...
), Carter Horton (
Kerr Smith
Kerr Van Cleve Smith (born March 9, 1972) is an American actor known for playing Jack McPhee on The WB drama series ''Dawson's Creek'', Kyle Brody in The WB supernatural drama ''Charmed'', Robert in Freeform's '' The Fosters'' and Axel Palme ...
), Billy Hitchcock (
Seann William Scott
Seann William Scott (born October 3, 1976) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Steve Stifler in the '' American Pie'' franchise, and also for his role as Doug Glatt in both '' Goon'' and '' Goon: Last of the Enforcers''. He has al ...
), Valerie Lewton (
Kristen Cloke
Kristen Ann Cloke is an American actress. She appeared in '' Space: Above and Beyond'', and has acted in several small parts of other TV series. She is known for her role as Valerie Lewton in ''Final Destination'' and as Leigh Colvin in the slas ...
), Terry Chaney (
Amanda Detmer
Amanda Jeannette Detmer is an American actress. She made her big screen debut playing Miss Minneapolis in 1999 comedy film '' Drop Dead Gorgeous'', and later had a supporting role in ''Final Destination''.
In early 2000s, Detmer had starring r ...
), and Tod Waggner (
Chad Donella
Chad E. Donella (born May 18, 1978) is a Canadian actor who has appeared in several movies and television shows. He married Joni Bertin in 2007.
Life and career
He attended the Arts York Drama Program, in which he participated in such plays a ...
), who witness the plane explode moments later. Afterwards, the survivors begin to die one by one through a series of bizarre accidents, and Alex attempts to find a way to "cheat" Death's plan before it is too late. Six months later, Alex, Clear, and Carter travel to Paris to celebrate their survival, believing they have finally cheated Death; however, after Carter is crushed by a giant neon sign, they realize that Death's plan is still in action.
''Final Destination 2'' (2003)
''Final Destination 2'', picking up one year after the first film, features college student
Kimberly Corman
Kimberly Corman is a fictional character in the ''Final Destination'' series, portrayed by A. J. Cook. Kimberly serves as the protagonist of ''Final Destination 2''. She is a college student from White Plains, New York, and is one of the survivor ...
(
A. J. Cook
Andrea Joy Cook (born July 22, 1978) is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her role as Supervisory Special Agent Jennifer "JJ" Jareau on the CBS crime drama ''Criminal Minds'' (2005–2020, 2022). Cook has also appeared in ''The Virgin ...
) heading to
Daytona Beach
Daytona Beach, or simply Daytona, is a coastal resort-city in east-central Florida. Located on the eastern edge of Volusia County near the Atlantic coastline, its population was 72,647 at the 2020 census. Daytona Beach is approximately nort ...
for spring break with her friends Shaina, Dano, and Frankie (
Sarah Carter
Sarah Sanguin Carter (born October 30, 1980) is a Canadian-American actress. She is known for her recurring role as Alicia Baker in the superhero series ''Smallville'' (2004–2005), Madeleine Poe in ''Shark'' (2006–2008), and main role as ...
, Alex Rae, and
Shaun Sipos
Shaun Sipos (born October 30, 1981) is a Canadian actor, known for playing Jack on the ABC series ''Complete Savages'', Eric Daniels on ''Life Unexpected,'' David Breck on The CW series ''Melrose Place'', Aaron Whitmore on The CW's ''The Vampi ...
). En route, Kimberly has a premonition of a huge car
pile-up
A multiple vehicle collision (colloquially known as a pile-up, multi-car collision, multi-vehicle collision, or simply a multi) is a road traffic collision involving many vehicles. Generally occurring on high-capacity and high-speed routes such ...
on Route 23, killing everyone involved. She stops her SUV on the entrance ramp, preventing several people from entering the highway, including state trooper Thomas Burke (
Michael Landes
Michael Christopher Landes (born September 18, 1972) is an American actor of television and film.
Personal life
Michael Christopher Landes was born to Patricia and Bernard Landes on September 18, 1972 in The Bronx, New York. Landes studied pe ...
), Eugene Dix (
T. C. Carson), Rory Peters (
Jonathan Cherry
Jonathan Cherry (born February 3, 1977) is a Canadian actor. He is best known for his role as Rory Peters in the supernatural horror film ''Final Destination 2'' (2003). His other notable film roles include '' House of the Dead'' (2003) and ''G ...
), Kat Jennings (
Keegan Connor Tracy
Keegan Connor Tracy (born December 3, 1971) is a Canadian actress and author. She is best known for her roles as Audrey Malone in the Showtime comedy-drama series '' Beggars and Choosers'' (1999–2000), the Blue Fairy in the ABC fantasy drama ...
), Nora and Tim Carpenter (
Lynda Boyd
Lynda Boyd (born January 28, 1965) is a Canadian actress, singer, dancer, musician, and writer. She is perhaps best known for her roles in the films ''Final Destination 2'' (2003), ''An Unfinished Life'' (2005), ''She's the Man'' (2006), and ''O ...
and James Kirk), Evan Lewis (
David Paetkau
David Paetkau is a Canadian actor who has played Evan Lewis in ''Final Destination 2'' (2003), the customs officer in ''LAX'' (2004), Beck McKaye in '' Whistler'' (2006–2008), Ira Glatt in '' Goon'' (2011), and Sam Braddock in the CTV/CBS tel ...
), and pregnant Isabella Hudson (
Justina Machado
Justina Milagros Machado (born September 6, 1972) is an American actress, known for her roles as Penelope Alvarez on the Netflix and Pop TV sitcom '' One Day at a Time'', Darci Factor in The CW dramedy ''Jane the Virgin'', Vanessa Diaz on the HBO ...
). While Officer Burke questions Kimberly, the pile-up occurs as she predicted. In the days following the accident, the survivors begin to die one by one in a series of bizarre accidents. After learning about the explosion of Flight 180, Kimberly teams up with Clear Rivers, the only survivor of Flight 180, to try to save a new group of people from Death. This time the survivors are told that only "new life" can defeat Death, and they must stay alive long enough for Isabella to have her baby. It is later revealed that Isabella was never meant to die in the pile-up, and Kimberly drowns herself in a lake so that she can be resuscitated by emergency staff, thus granting her "new life"; saving her and Officer Burke.
''Final Destination 3'' (2006)
''Final Destination 3'', set five years after the explosion of Flight 180 and four years after the pile-up on Route 23, has high school student
Wendy Christensen
Wendy Christensen is a fictional character in the ''Final Destination'' franchise. The character, created by James Wong and Glen Morgan, and portrayed by actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead, serves as the protagonist in ''Final Destination 3''. Ou ...
(
Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Mary Elizabeth Winstead (born November 28, 1984) is an American actress and singer. Her first significant role was that of Jessica Bennett (Passions), Jessica Bennett on the NBC soap opera ''Passions'' (1999–2000). She went on to appear in se ...
) visiting an amusement park for grad night with her friends Kevin Fischer (
Ryan Merriman
Ryan Earl Merriman (born April 10, 1983) is an American actor. He began his career at the age of ten and has appeared in several feature films and television shows. He is best known for a handful of Disney Channel original movies and for portra ...
), Jason Wise (
Jesse Moss), and Carrie Dreyer (
Gina Holden
Gina Holden (born March 17, 1975) is a Canadian actress, perhaps best known for her roles as Coreen Fennel in '' Blood Ties'', Dale Arden in ''Flash Gordon'', and Shea Allen in ''Harper's Island''.
Early life
Holden was born in the small town ...
). As Wendy and her friends board the Devil's Flight roller coaster, Wendy has a premonition that the ride will crash, killing everyone on board. When Wendy panics a fight breaks out and several people leave or are forced off the ride before the accident occurs, including Kevin, Wendy's younger sister Julie (
Amanda Crew
Amanda Catherine Crew (born June 5, 1986) is a Canadian actress. Following her film debut in ''Final Destination 3'' (2006), she had lead roles as Felicia Alpine in ''Sex Drive (film), Sex Drive'' (2008) and Tess Carroll in ''Charlie St. Cloud (f ...
), Ian McKinley (
Kris Lemche
Kris Lemche (born 1978 or 1979) is a Canadian actor.
Career
At 17 years old, Lemche answered a newspaper casting call and won a role on the Disney series '' Flash Forward''.
Abandoning plans to study biochemistry in University, Lemche instea ...
), Erin Ulmer (
Alexz Johnson
Alexzandra Spencer Johnson (born November 4, 1986) is a Canadian musician, actress, and philanthropist. Her debut album ''Voodoo'' was independently released with her brother Brendan Johnson in 2010, followed by the demo release of ''The Basem ...
), Lewis Romero (
Texas Battle
Texas Quency Battle (born August 9, 1980) is an American film and television actor, known for his role as Marcus Forrester on the CBS soap opera, ''The Bold and the Beautiful''. He also established Texas Battle Foundation in order to help unprivi ...
), Frankie Cheeks (
Sam Easton
Sam Easton (born October 4, 1979) is a Canadian actor.
Biography
Easton was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He studied at Humber College, winning the Phil Hartman Comedy Award for best student in 2000 Later that same year he was ...
), Ashley Freund (
Chelan Simmons
Chelan Lauren Simmons is a Canadian actress and former professional model. She is best known for her roles in the films ''Final Destination 3'' (2006), ''Good Luck Chuck'' (2007), and '' Tucker & Dale vs. Evil'' (2010). She is also known for her ...
), Ashlyn Halperin (
Crystal Lowe
Yan-Kay Crystal Lowe (born Yan-Kay Lo; January 20, 1981) is a Canadian actress, director, and model best known for her scream queen roles in horror films such as '' Children of the Corn: Revelation'' (2001), ''Final Destination 3'' (2006), '' B ...
), and Perry Malinowski (Maggie Ma). When the survivors start to die one by one in a series of strange accidents, Wendy and Kevin set out to save those who remain after they learn of the events of the first two films. They also figure out that the photographs they took at the park have hints of their deaths. Most of their attempts are futile, with the exception of Julie and themselves, leading them to believe they have cheated Death. However, the three "coincidentally" cross paths five months later and are caught in a horrifying subway accident.
''The Final Destination'' (2009)
In ''The Final Destination'', set nine years after the explosion of Flight 180, eight years after the pile-up on Route 23, and four years after the Devil's Flight disaster, college student Nick O'Bannon (
Bobby Campo
Robert Joseph Camposecco (born March 9, 1983) known professionally as Bobby Campo, is an American actor. He is known for playing the lead role as Nick O'Bannon in the horror film ''The Final Destination''.
Life and career
Campo was born in Wheel ...
) visits the McKinley Speedway for a study break with his friends Lori Milligan (
Shantel VanSanten
Shantel VanSanten (born July 25, 1985) is an American actress and model. As a model, she has been featured in the magazines ''Teen Vogue'' and '' Seventeen''. On television, she played the role of Quinn James in the CW teen drama series '' One ...
), Janet Cunningham (
Haley Webb
Haley Webb is an American actress and filmmaker. She acts primarily in film and television and is the founder of the production company Legion of Horribles. Webb's most recent work includes independent films Netflix “Killer Cove”, '' Sugar ...
), and Hunt Wynorski (
Nick Zano
Nick Zano (born March 8, 1978) is an American actor. Zano is known for having played Vince in The WB's sitcom '' What I Like About You''. He hosted MTV's former infotainment program about the film industry, ''Movie House'', and briefly worked a ...
). While watching the race, Nick has a premonition that a race car crash will send debris into the stands, causing the stadium to collapse on the guests. When Nick panics a fight breaks out and several people leave before the accident occurs, including, his friends Lori, Janet, and Hunt, security guard George Lanter (
Mykelti Williamson
Mykelti Williamson (born March 4, 1957) is an American actor best known for his roles in the films ''Forrest Gump'', ''Con Air'' and ''Ali'', and the television shows ''Boomtown'', '' 24'', and '' Justified''. In 2016, he portrayed Gabriel Maxso ...
), and spectators Andy Kewzer (
Andrew Fiscella), Samantha Lane (
Krista Allen
Krista Allen (born April 5, 1971) is an American actress, model and Stand-up comedy, stand-up comic. She is best known for her work in the television series ''Days of Our Lives'', ''Baywatch Hawaii'', and the Erotic art, erotic TV series ''Emman ...
), Carter Daniels (
Justin Welborn
Justin Welborn is a character actor and singer known for his roles in the films '' The Signal'', '' Dance of the Dead'', and ''The Final Destination''. He was a recurring character on the FX Network hit show '' Justified'', with his last appearanc ...
), and Nadia Monroy (
Stephanie Honoré
Stephanie Anna Honoré Sanchez (born May 11, 1984) known professionally as Stephanie Honoré, is an American actress. She is best known for her scream queen roles in the horror films ''The Final Destination'', '' Mirrors 2'', and '' Now You ...
). Once again, the survivors are killed in a series of strange accidents except for Janet, who is rescued just moments before her death. This leads the remaining survivors to believe that they have cheated Death, until Nick has another premonition of a disastrous explosion at a shopping mall, which he manages to prevent, saving himself, Lori, and Janet. Two weeks later, Nick realizes the mall disaster vision was only meant to lead them to where Death needed them to be and all three are killed by a runaway semi.
''Final Destination 5'' (2011)
In ''Final Destination 5'', Sam Lawton (
Nicholas D'Agosto
Nicholas D'Agosto (born April 17, 1980) is an American actor, best known for featuring in ''Final Destination 5'', '' Heroes'' and ''The Office''. He starred in the Showtime series ''Masters of Sex'' and the Fox series '' Gotham''.
Early li ...
) is on his way to a corporate retreat with his colleagues. While they cross the North Bay Bridge, Sam has a premonition that the bridge will collapse, killing everyone on it. Sam manages to persuade several of his co-workers to get off the bridge before the accident occurs, including Molly Harper (
Emma Bell
Emma Jean Bell (born December 17, 1986) is an American actress, best known for her roles in films '' Frozen'' (2010) and ''Final Destination 5'' (2011), and for playing Amy in the first and third season of '' The Walking Dead'' (2010; 2012), and ...
), Nathan Sears (
Arlen Escarpeta), Peter Friedkin (
Miles Fisher
James Leslie Miles Fisher (born June 23, 1983) is an American actor, comedian, entrepreneur and musician. He made his debut in the CBS adaptation of the book '' True Women'' and had a starring role in the 2000 film ''Lone Star Struck''. In 2001 ...
), Dennis Lapman (
David Koechner
David Michael Koechner ( ; born August 24, 1962) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for playing roles such as Champ Kind in the ''Anchorman'' films and Todd Packer on NBC's ''The Office''.
Koechner first became involved in perf ...
),
Olivia Castle
Olivia Castle is a fictional character from the ''Final Destination'' series. She appears in Steven Quale's ''Final Destination 5'' as one of the survivors of the North Bay bridge collapse. She is portrayed by Jacqueline MacInnes Wood and serves ...
(
Jacqueline MacInnes Wood
Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (born 17 April 1987) is a Canadian actress, musician and television personality. For playing fashion executive and heiress Steffy Forrester Finnegan in the CBS soap opera ''The Bold and the Beautiful'' (2008–present) ...
), Isaac Palmer (
P. J. Byrne
Paul Jeffrey Byrne (born December 15, 1974) is an American film and television actor. He is best known for his roles as Nicky "Rugrat" Koskoff in the Martin Scorsese film ''The Wolf of Wall Street (2013 film), The Wolf of Wall Street'' (2013) a ...
), and Candice Hooper (Ellen Wroe). After Candice and Isaac die in bizarre accidents, Sam is warned that Death is still after the survivors and told that if he wants to live he must kill someone who was never meant to die on the bridge, and claim their remaining lifespan. Olivia and Dennis are killed before they have a chance to save themselves, but Nathan claims the lifespan of a co-worker when he accidentally causes his death in a warehouse accident. Peter attempts to kill Molly, jealous that she survived instead of Candice. He eventually gains the lifespan of an investigating agent, but is killed by Sam before he can kill Molly. Sam and Molly later board a plane to Paris, which is revealed to be Flight 180 from the first film. When the fuselage is torn apart by the exploding engine fragments, Molly is sucked out of the plane while Sam is killed in the subsequent explosion. The landing gear is sent flying towards New York City and crashes into a cocktail bar, killing Nathan, since the co-worker whose life he claimed had a terminal illness and was due to die "any day now".
Future
In 2011,
Tony Todd
Tony Todd (born December 4, 1954) is an American actor who made his debut as Sgt. Warren in the film ''Platoon'' (1986), and portrayed Kurn in the television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' (1990–1991) and '' Star Trek: Deep Space Ni ...
said that if ''Final Destination 5'' was a success at the box office, then two sequels would be filmed
back-to-back
Back to Back or back-to-back may refer to:
Music Songs
* "Back to Back" (Drake song), 2015
* "Back to Back" (Jeanne Pruett song), 1979
*"Back to Back", a song by Pretty Maids from the 1984 album ''Red Hot and Heavy''
*"Back to Back", a song by ...
. On August 23, when asked whether he would be directing a sequel, Steven Quale elaborated: "Who knows. Never say never. I mean, it'll be up to the fans. We'll see how this one performs internationally, and if it makes as much money as the fourth one, I'm sure Warner Brothers will want to make another one".
In January 2019, a new installment was announced to be in development, from
Warner Bros. Pictures
Warner Bros. Pictures is an American film production and distribution company of the Warner Bros. Pictures Group division of Warner Bros. Entertainment (both ultimately owned by Warner Bros. Discovery). The studio is the flagship producer of ...
and
New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema is an American film production studio owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and is a film label of Warner Bros. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye as an independent film distribution company; later becoming a film studio after acq ...
.
Patrick Melton
Patrick Melton is an American screenwriter, producer and novelist.
Film career
In 2004, Melton won the third season of Project Greenlight, along with Marcus Dunstan and John Gulager. The television show premiered on Bravo and resulted in the ho ...
and
Marcus Dunstan
Marcus Dunstan is an American screenwriter and director who, along with Patrick Melton, wrote screenplay for the film ''Feast'', which was the winner of Season Three of the filmmaking competition reality TV series ''Project Greenlight''. Dunstan ...
will write the script, with the plot described as a "re-imagining" of the franchise. In August, Devon Sawa expressed interest in returning to the franchise in the reboot.
In March 2020, it was announced that the film, set in the same canon as the first five films, would focus on first responders, with series producer Craig Perry stating:
The same year in October, series creator
Jeffrey Reddick
Jeffrey Reddick (born 12 July 1969) is an American screenwriter and film director, best known for creating the ''Final Destination'' franchise.
Life and career
Reddick was born in Jackson, Kentucky and attended Breathitt County High School. H ...
confirmed that a sixth film had been in the works prior to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
.
By 2021, a draft of the script had been written by Lori Evans Taylor.
In January 2022,
Warner Bros. Pictures
Warner Bros. Pictures is an American film production and distribution company of the Warner Bros. Pictures Group division of Warner Bros. Entertainment (both ultimately owned by Warner Bros. Discovery). The studio is the flagship producer of ...
and
New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema is an American film production studio owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and is a film label of Warner Bros. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye as an independent film distribution company; later becoming a film studio after acq ...
announced that
Guy Busick
Guy Busick is an American film and television screenwriter best known for his collaborations with directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, including ''Scream'' (2022) and '' Ready or Not'' (2019).
Career
In 2016, Busick began his ...
would collaborate on the script with Taylor, while
Jon Watts
Jonathan Watts (born June 28, 1981) is an American filmmaker. His credits include directing the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) superhero films '' Spider-Man: Homecoming'', '' Spider-Man: Far From Home'', and '' Spider-Man: No Way Home''. He was ...
joined as a producer. Additionally, it was revealed that the film would be distributed through
HBO Max
HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Netw ...
.
That September, it was announced that
Zach Lipovsky
Zach Lipovsky is a Canadian director, former child actor and visual effects specialist.
Career
Lipovsky was a finalist on the first season of the Fox reality show ''On the Lot'' where he placed 5th out of 12,000 directors worldwide. He went on to ...
and
Adam B. Stein
Adam Stein is an American film director and screenwriter working in Los Angeles, California.
Stein graduated from Harvard University and the directing program at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. He co-directed the Disney live-action movie ''Ki ...
would co-direct the film, after the pair staged an elaborate death hoax in a Zoom call meeting with the studio executives. Producers were impressed with the duo's vision for the project and how their presentation evoked the franchise. The draft of the script at that time was co-authored by Busick and Taylor from an original story written by Jon Watts. Craig Perry, Sheila Hanahan Taylor, Watts and Dianne McGunigle will serve as producers.
Recurring cast and characters
Additional crew and production details
Reception
Box office performance
''Final Destination'', when compared to other top-grossing American horror franchises and adjusting for inflation from 2011, is the tenth highest grossing horror franchise in the United States at approximately $347.8million
With $667million in worldwide earnings, the franchise is New Line's third most lucrative horror franchise, behind
''The Conjuring'' franchise ($2billion) and the ''It'' series ($1billion).
Critical and public response
The franchise has been praised for its innovative premise of the invisible abstract concept of Death killing people instead of a usual slasher killer, and the creativity of the films' death sequences.
Other media
Novels
Throughout 2005, publishing company
Black Flame released a series of ''Final Destination'' books which faithfully follow the premise of the films, with each involving a group of people who find themselves targeted by Death after surviving a catastrophe of some sort due to a character experiencing a precognitive vision. Their first five novels all featured original stories, with the first novel, entitled ''Dead Reckoning'', has
punk rocker Jessica Golden saving herself and several others from the collapse of Club Kitty in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, earning Death's ire. ''Destination Zero'', also set in LA, has magazine employee Patricia Fuller and few others survive a train bombing and afterward, while being stalked by Death, Patti learns this is not the first time her family has been hunted by the entity. ''End of the Line'' has a group of
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
subway crash survivors, led by twins Danny and Louise King, trying to escape Death, who uses an unknowing agent to hasten its acquisition of the survivors. In ''Dead Man's Hand'' a group meant to die in the crash of a
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
glass elevator are stalked by both Death and the
FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...
, the latter believing the group's savior Allie Goodwin-Gaines was responsible for the elevator crash. ''Looks Could Kill'' has beautiful New York model Stephanie "Sherry" Pulaski stopping her friends from boarding a
yacht
A yacht is a sailing or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a , as opposed to a , such a pleasu ...
when she has a vision of it exploding, but is left horribly disfigured and comatose by flying debris moments afterward when her vision comes true; eventually awakening the embittered Stephanie makes a deal with Death, aiding it in claiming her friends in exchange for having her good looks restored.
After the run of the original series of books Black Flame released novelizations of the first three films in January 2006. Black Flame's last ''Final Destination'' novel was ''Death of the Senses'' released in mid-2006. Taking place in New York the book has a homeless man named Jack Curtis saving policewoman Amy Tom from a maniac after having a vision of Amy's death; Amy's attacker is later revealed to be a serial killer who was meant to murder six other people (representing the first
five senses and
a sixth) who Death begins targeting as Jack and Amy rush to find and warn the intended victims. It was, due to a printing error, only available for a short period of time before being recalled, leaving only a few copies in circulation. A tenth novel, titled ''Wipeout'' and written by Alex Johnson, was planned, but cancelled; the book would have featured a pair of surfers and several others, after surviving a plane crash in Hawaii, being hunted by Death and the survivor of another disaster, an unstable soldier who had nearly died in an ambush in
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
.
Comic books
The first ''Final Destination'' comic book, titled ''Sacrifice'', was published by
Zenescope Entertainment
Zenescope Entertainment is a comic book and graphic novel publisher headquartered in Horsham, Pennsylvania, United States, co-founded by Joe Brusha and Ralph Tedesco in 2005. Zenescope publishes full-color action, fantasy and horror titles.
Unde ...
and came packaged with a limited edition DVD of ''Final Destination 3'', sold exclusively at
Circuit City
Circuit City is an American consumer electronics retail company, which was founded in 1949 by Samuel Wurtzel as the Wards Company, operated stores across the United States, and pioneered the electronics superstore format in the 1970s. After m ...
stores. The premise of the story involves the survivor of a terrible accident and his friend Jim, who continually experiences images of other people's deaths, isolating himself from the rest of the world to escape the visions that torment him. Zenescope later released a five issue miniseries, titled ''Final Destination: Spring Break'', which involves a group led by Carly Hagan being stalked by Death after surviving a hotel fire and becoming stranded in
Cancún, Mexico. The miniseries was later released in a trade paperback collection, which included the ''Sacrifice'' comic as bonus content.
Themes
Three critical theories about the ''Final Destination'' franchise have been discussed in scholarly works. It has been framed as a
postmodern
Postmodernism is an intellectual stance or mode of discourseNuyen, A.T., 1992. The Role of Rhetorical Devices in Postmodernist Discourse. Philosophy & Rhetoric, pp.183–194. characterized by skepticism toward the " grand narratives" of moderni ...
horror franchise that, like the
''Scream'' franchise, self-consciously refers to the history of horror cinema and rewards viewers for their knowledge. Second, the films—particularly ''
The Final Destination
''The Final Destination'' (also known as ''Final Destination 4'') is a 2009 American 3D supernatural horror film written by Eric Bress and directed by David R. Ellis. It is the fourth installment in the ''Final Destination'' film series and t ...
'' (2009) and ''
Final Destination 5
''Final Destination 5'' is a 2011 American 3D supernatural horror film directed by Steven Quale and written by Eric Heisserer. It is the fifth installment in the ''Final Destination'' film series and a prequel to the first film. ''Final Dest ...
'' (2011)—have been examined for their visual effects. Third, the franchise has been criticized for being cynical and reductive.
For example, film studies scholar Reynold Humphries dismisses the franchise as "obscurantist nonsense whose only 'idea' is that death is an agency that has a 'plan' for each of us".
According to
media studies
Media studies is a discipline and field of study that deals with the content, history, and effects of various media; in particular, the mass media. Media Studies may draw on traditions from both the social sciences and the humanities, but mostly ...
scholar Eugenie Brinkema, ''Final Destination'' films are characterized by their move away from the typical horror
antagonist
An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the chief foe of the protagonist.
Etymology
The English word antagonist comes from the Greek ἀνταγωνιστής – ''antagonistēs'', "opponent, competitor, villain, enemy, riv ...
and toward the certainty and inevitability of death. This makes them inconsistent with most other horror films, which require a monster. ''Final Destination'' films depart further from other horror films, even those aimed at teenagers, in that a family narrative is lacking, and there are no hauntings of any kind. As well, there is no sexuality—"neither the pursuit of pleasure in the slasher convention of easy bodily access nor the monstrosity of sexual difference".
Brinkema argues the films are not about seeking pleasure like typical
slasher
Slasher may refer to:
* Slasher (basketball), a style of play in basketball
* Slasher film, a subgenre of the horror film
* Slasher (tool), a scrub-clearing implement
* ''Slasher'' (2004 film), a 2004 documentary film
* ''Slasher'' (2007 film) ...
films. Instead they are about the avoidance of pain and death; they are fundamentally "bitter ... paranoid, and sad" and display the inability of characters to feel pleasure. In these films, death becomes its own cause. The premonition of the roller coaster derailment in ''Final Destination 3'' is without context or cause. The avoidance of death by some characters grounds the necessity of their deaths, specifically the order in which they would have died on the roller coaster. Thus, "Death's list" or "Death's design" is realized.
[ Brinkema (2015), p. 300] ''Final Destination 3'' spends as much time interpreting deaths as displaying them. Wendy's close analysis of photographs allows her to understand the deaths, but is inevitably too late to save her friends. In the franchise's films, Brinkema says, "one must closely read to survive (for a spell), and yet reading changes absolutely nothing at all". Thus, the characters "might as well" have stayed on the roller coaster.
Ian Conrich, a film studies scholar, argues the series marks a key departure from slasher norms in that death itself becomes the villain. ''Final Destination'' films draw influences from slasher cinema but the franchise's action sequences, including ''Final Destination 3'' roller coaster derailment, draw from
action
Action may refer to:
* Action (narrative), a literary mode
* Action fiction, a type of genre fiction
* Action game, a genre of video game
Film
* Action film, a genre of film
* ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford
* ''Action'' (1980 fil ...
and
disaster
A disaster is a serious problem occurring over a short or long period of time that causes widespread human, material, economic or environmental loss which exceeds the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources ...
cinema.
[ Conrich (2015), p. 114] For Conrich, the franchise marks a new slasher film subgenre. Because the deaths are extremely violent and excessive, any number can happen at once, and all of them are inevitable, he calls the films "grand slashers".
Other grand slashers include the films in the
''Saw'' and ''
Cube
In geometry, a cube is a three-dimensional solid object bounded by six square faces, facets or sides, with three meeting at each vertex. Viewed from a corner it is a hexagon and its net is usually depicted as a cross.
The cube is the only r ...
'' franchises.
A notable feature of the ''Final Destination'' films is the threshold or tipping-point logic of characters' deaths. Conrich frames the complex death sequences in ''Final Destination'' films as "death games, contraptions or puzzles in which there are only losers". He compares the sequences to
Rube Goldberg machines
A Rube Goldberg machine, named after American cartoonist Rube Goldberg, is a chain reaction-type machine or contraption intentionally designed to perform a simple task in an indirect and (impractically) overly complicated way. Usually, these machi ...
, the
Grand Guignol
''Le Théâtre du Grand-Guignol'' (: "The Theatre of the Great Puppet")—known as the Grand Guignol–was a theatre in the Quartier Pigalle, Pigalle district of Paris (7, cité Chaptal). From its opening in 1897 until its closing in 1962, it spe ...
, and the ''
Mouse Trap
A mousetrap is a specialized type of animal trap designed primarily to catch and, usually, kill mice. Mousetraps are usually set in an indoor location where there is a suspected infestation of rodents. Larger traps are designed to catch other s ...
'' board game.
[ Conrich (2015), p. 115] Brinkema selects the deaths of Ashley and Ashlyn from ''Final Destination 3'' as epitomizing the series' death sequences. The characters' deaths are brought about by "a series of neutral gestures, a set of constraints that will ultimately lead to their conflagratory ends"; these include the placing of a drink, looking through CDs, and an ill-chosen doorstop. The scene uses logics of temperature, color, and light to realize the characters' deaths, and to allow Wendy to recognize the threat they face.
[ Brinkema (2015), pp. 303–4] An example of the "literal tipping point" at which the characters can no longer escape occurs when a coat rack is knocked onto the tanning beds; it is blown by an air conditioning unit that is activated by the increasing heat.
[ Brinkema (2015), p. 304] Conrich identifies the roller coaster derailment as an example of the franchise's focus on mobility in death sequences. He argues that theme park rides and horror cinema are mutually influential; the former draw from the frightening aspects of the latter, while the latter draw from the "theatrics and kinetics" of the former.
Notes
References
Bibliography
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External links
*
''Final Destination'' franchiseat
The Numbers
{{Warner Bros. franchises
American film series
Film series introduced in 2000
Horror film franchises
New Line Cinema franchises
Fiction about precognition
Multiple time paths in fiction
Films adapted into comics
2000s English-language films
2010s English-language films