The reaper will soon return to claim more lives of those fated to be dead in an all-new Final Destination sequel. Per The Hollywood Reporter, Final Destination 6 is moving forward at HBO Max after years of false starts and reboot rumors. Spider-Man: No Way Home helmer Jon Watts wrote the treatment for the new film and will also be on board to produce the project. A director has not yet been named, but given the success of No Way Home, Watts' involvement will certainly bring a lot of attention to the sequel.
This new Final Destination is simply titled Final Destination 6, suggesting it may be more of a sequel that acknowledges the prior installments rather than a full-on reboot. Lori Evans Taylor (Bed Rest) and Guy Busick (Ready or Not, Scream) are writing the screenplay using Watts' treatment. Other producers include series producer Craig Perry, franchise veteran Sheila Hanahan Taylor, and Watts' wife and manager, Dianne McGunigle.
Currently, Watts' latest film, Spider-Man: No Way Home, has been playing in movie theaters around the world where it's been obliterating the box office. The ambitious superhero movie has also garnered tremendous acclaim in addition to its financial success. This makes Watts a hotter commodity than ever before as the director of the blockbuster film.
Will This Version of the Film Ever Reach its Final Destination?
As the fifth movie came out in 2011, this will be the first Final Destination film to officially move forward with production in over a decade. There have been some previous attempts to get a new sequel pushed out but for one reason or another, Final Destination 6 could not make its way out of development hell, ironically sitting in movie purgatory. It came close to happening in 2019 when New Line hired Saw franchise scribes Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan to write a screenplay for Final Destination 6, but that incarnation fizzled out before it got too far.
Screenwriter Lori Evans Taylor's involvement was reported on in October, but Watts has only just now boarded the project. Given the Spider-Man: No Way Home accolades, it seems like the odds of the sequel finally happening for real are better than ever. Because this new version of the story is based on Watts' treatment, it doesn't seem likely that it will follow a planned storyline that had previously been reported for the sequel. In 2020, producer Craig perry teased a storyline following the first responders, like police officers, firefighters, and EMTs, putting a different perspective on the "victims" of the Grim Reaper.
"We're toying with having it take place in the world of first responders: EMTs, firemen, and police. These people deal with death on the front lines every day and make choices that can cause people to live or die," Perry said. "We rely on their good judgment, expertise, and calm demeanor. So why not put those people in the nightmare situation where every choice can bring about life and death - but now for themselves? We're thinking that world might be an interesting way into a Final Destination movie, and one which can also generate unique set pieces in a very credible way."
No release date has been set for Final Destination 6, but if all goes well with Jon Watts on board, the film will debut exclusively on HBO Max.