New Line Cinema has no designs on thwarting the grim reaper; instead, it embraces an even darker fate. The Warner Bros. subsidiary is forging ahead with a sequel to its horror smash hit, Final Destination: Bloodlines, by enlisting the co-writer of the film, Lori Evans Taylor, to craft the next chapter in the franchise's chilling saga.
This strategic hire follows the immense success of Bloodlines, which debuted in May and amassed over $286 million at the global box office, with $138.1 million of that tally coming from domestic audiences. This sixth installment in the horror series, and the first since 2011, emerged as the most prosperous venture in the franchise's history, more than doubling the domestic earnings of its nearest predecessor, 2009's The Final Destination.
Taylor played a pivotal role in penning the screenplay, collaborating with Guy Busick (Ready or Not) based on a story conceived by Taylor, Busick, and Jon Watts—the Spider-Man: Homecoming director who lent his creative prowess to Bloodlines. Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein directed this惊悚片.
Returning to helm the production are franchise producer and steward Craig Perry, alongside franchise veteran Sheila Hanahan Taylor. Joining them are Watts and his spouse, Dianne McGunigle, alongside Toby Emmerich. (A quaint anecdote: Watts and McGunigle's inaugural date was a screening of a Final Destination film.) Warren Zide will serve as executive producer.
In the early 2000s, the Destination series emerged as a surprise powerhouse for New Line, featuring a concept versatile enough to transcend films, settings, and unsuspecting victims alike. Each installment revolves around a protagonist who foresees a catastrophic and fatal event. They narrowly escape their own demise and save several others in the process, only to find Death—embodied as an unyielding force of nature—coming for the survivors, one by one.
Collectively, the film series has garnered over $983 million worldwide, ranking as New Line's third-largest horror franchise, trailing only the record-breaking Conjuring Universe (grossing $2.3 billion) and the It films (amassing $1.2 billion).
Taylor, one of the few women thriving in the horror genre, adapted Carla Norton's serial killer novel The Edge of Normal, which wrapped up in spring 2025 with Chloë Grace Moretz in the lead role and Carlota Pereda directing. Her resume boasts credits such as the psychological thriller Cellar Door and her directorial debut Bed Rest, a supernatural thriller starring Melissa Barrera. Taylor also adapted I Am Still Alive for Universal, with Ben Affleck attached to star and produce.
She is represented by WME, Kaplan/Perrone, and McKuin, Frankel.
