Upcoming Horror Franchise Reboot May Actually Beat New Stephen King Movie With A Similar Concept

Final Destination: Bloodlines could outperform Osgood Perkins’ 2025 horror hit, despite its surprising success. While The Monkey and Final Destination 6 may seem similar at first glance, the overwhelming response to the latter’s trailer highlights key differences that should determine which film executes the “death-hunts-characters-in-bizarre-ways” premise more effectively. As The Monkey reaches a box office milestone, the competition between these two horror films could yet take an unforeseen turn.

Notably, The Monkey‘s reviews are far better than those for any Final Destination sequel, with critics praising Perkins’ striking visual style and the film’s chilling exploration of life’s random and violent suffering. Despite its favor with critics, The Monkey may ultimately struggle against the strong fandom supporting the now 25-year-old franchise. While Final Destination: Bloodlines‘ upcoming release will settle the debate, there are already many signs pointing to the legacy sequel outshining the latest Stephen King adaptation.

The Monkey & Final Destination 6 Are Competing For Most Bizarre & Over-The-Top Deaths

While the source material isn’t as gory, Osgood Perkins infuses The Monkey with a dark comedy tone, delivering some of the most bizarre and meticulously crafted deaths in pop horror. The Monkey‘s similarities to Final Destination initially posed a challenge for the franchise’s sixth installment, threatening to tire audiences of watching random characters get killed in shocking ways. After The Monkey‘s positive theatrical reception, Final Destination: Bloodlines now faces heightened expectations — not just to revive its franchise in a fresh way, but to outdo Perkins’ over-the-top, inventive death scenes.

On top of their creatively gruesome kills, both films share a strikingly similar plot, as characters desperately try to escape a relentless supernatural force that’s out to kill them one by one.

On top of their creatively gruesome kills, both films share a strikingly similar plot, as characters desperately try to escape a relentless supernatural force that’s out to kill them one by one. Even The Monkey‘s premise borrows from Final Destination in its ruling ideology that death cannot be controlled, while the latter’s core message is that death cannot be cheated. Though their distinctions are key, the films ultimately parallel each other, reinforcing the same fear. What remains to be seen, however, is whether Final Destination: Bloodlines can add something new to the mix.

Final Destination: Bloodlines’ Trailer Is A Promising Sign For The Horror Reboot

Final Destination 6’s Expands The Canon & Teases Deathly Nods To Other Sequels

Final Destination Bloodlines Tony Todd as William Bludworth with imagery from the trailer in the background — Custom image by Ana Nieves.

The Final Destination: Bloodlines trailer is already causing commotion, introducing a fresh concept and teasing terrifying new deaths that hearken back to the franchise’s roots. One major revelation is that Death has seemingly been targeting descendants of survivors from a 1960s accident across all previous installments, which is an intriguing expansion of the Final Destination canon. Additionally, Final Destination: Bloodlines brings back the infamous log truck, hinting at epic callbacks to the franchise’s most iconic death sequences, promising a mix of elaborate, convoluted kills, and ones that are terrifyingly believable.

Final Destination Bloodlines protagonist and Alex from the first movie

Wait, Final Destination’s Death Is Now A Generational Curse In Bloodlines?

The first trailer for Final Destination Bloodlines has arrived, and it makes a surprising but interesting reveal about Death and its new plan.

Early reactions to the preview suggest the legacy sequel is on the right track, with fans both thrilled by the franchise’s return and terrified by its ability to spark new fears — the latest one: glass shards on ice. Aiding the anticipation of the upcoming horror film, Tony Todd’s return in Final Destination: Bloodlines is set to convince more than one to give this a theatrical watch, as the actor appears in his last on-screen role. With strong fan excitement and the franchise’s proven box office track record, Final Destination: Bloodlines seems poised for unparalleled success.

Final Destination: Bloodlines May Be A Bigger & Better Version Of The Monkey Afterall

Final Destination: Bloodlines Could Outperform All The Franchise’s Past Installments

The Monkey has earned $62 million worldwide so far, and if Longlegs‘ box-office success is any indication, Perkins’ movie could still pass the $100 million mark before its theatrical run ends. However, that might still not be enough against the fan-favorite $663 million franchise. It’s been 14 years since Final Destination 5 won the franchise’s best Rotten Tomatoes score, and the time gap has helped heighten the expectation of a legacy revival. Final Destinations: Bloodlines‘s trailer has now broken a horror record, proving the franchise is stronger than ever.

Final Destination Franchise Performance
Title	Worldwide Box Office	Budget	RT Critics Score	Audience Score
Final Destination (2000)	$112,880,294	$23,000,000	39%	68%
Final Destination 2 (2003)	$90,941,129	$26,000,000 (estimated)	52%	58%
Final Destination 3 (2006)	$118,890,272	$23,000,000	44%	57%
The Final Destination (2009)	$186,167,139	$40,000,000	28%	35%
Final Destination 5 (2011)	$157,887,643	$40,000,000	63%	53%

Notably, despite having very low Rotten Tomatoes scores, all but one of the Final Destination sequels have passed the $110 million mark, with the last two garnering more than $155 million. While The Monkey‘s 79% Rotten Tomatoes score beats every Final Destination movie, it is clear box office success doesn’t necessarily depend on critical acclaim. What helps Final Destination: Bloodlines is that it expands the franchise’s popular canon, and further sets itself apart from The Monkey’s goofy and bizarre deaths by targeting the real-life fears of longtime fans and a new generation of enthusiasts.

Source: Box Office Mojo, Rotten Tomatoes