It’s been a quarter-century since the first “Final Destination” kicked off one of the most lucrative horror franchises in existence. Though initially conceived as a screenplay for an episode of “The X-Files,” this movie created a novel high-concept horror premise and made it into a smashing success.
All six films have achieved prodigious returns at the box office, and the most recent entry, this year’s “Final Destination Bloodlines,” has very auspiciously revived the franchise after a 14-year dormancy, becoming its most significant critical and commercial success yet. Naturally, a seventh film has already been announced, and now we know the name of New Line Cinema’s most sought-after director for this project.
Michiel Blanchart: Currently Under Prime Consideration by New Line
“Final Destination Bloodlines” was directed by Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein. New Line offered them the opportunity to return for the seventh film, but both declined. Now, the studio is looking to Michiel Blanchart, a Belgian filmmaker whose 2021 supernatural horror short film, “You’re Dead, Heléne,” won the Grand Prize at the Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film (BIFFF).
“You’re Dead, Heléne” was produced by Sam Raimi of “Evil Dead” and “Spider-Man” directorial fame, and has since been picked up by TriStar Pictures for adaptation to feature length. Blanchart had directed several other short films before “You’re Dead, Heléne”; his first and thus far only feature-length film is a 2024 action thriller called “Night Call,” which won a record-breaking ten Magritte Awards (essentially Belgium’s Academy Awards), including Best Picture and Best Director.
Production Breakdown – What We Know
Given his distinguished pedigree in genre filmmaking, it’s not difficult to understand why New Line would have its eye on Blanchart to helm the next installment of “Final Destination.” However, as of October 3, the studio hasn’t yet approached him with the offer; The Hollywood Reporter explains that he merely “bubbled to the top this week after a brief but intense search.”
While the seventh “Final Destination” film does not yet definitively have its director, its screenwriter has already signed on. She is Lori Evans Taylor, who co-wrote “Bloodlines” with Guy Busick. The forthcoming film will also be produced by the same five people – Jon Watts, Craig Perry, Toby Emmerich, Dianne McGunigle, and Sheila Hanahan Taylor – as its predecessor. At this early stage, no actors or release dates have been named.
