The late ‘90s and early 2000s were a wondrous time to be a teenager into campy slashers and horrors. Not only did we get to enjoy the arrival of some genre-defining titles likeScream,I Know What You Did Last Summer, andThe Faculty, but we got to watch the rise of so many up-and-coming stars of the time. Plus, there will never be a movie poster peak the way there was for these films – in which the main cast members lined up for the shot looking aloof and sexy at the same time. Stepping away from the serial killer-centered slashers that had made franchises likeScreamandI Know What You Did Last Summersuch a hit with audiences,Final Destinationgave horror fans a faceless villain to fear: Death.
‘Final Destination’s Date with Destiny
The movie introduced audiences to Alex (Sawa), a teenager preparing to embark on a trip overseas with other peers from his high school. Shortly after boarding the plane, Alex experiencesa premonitionthat tells him that the flight is doomed and that the vessel will burst into flames shortly after takeoff. Overtaken with fear, Alex causes a scene, getting himself and several other passengers kicked-off the flight, safely seated inside the terminal whenAlex’s grim vision becomes a disturbing reality. The rest of the movie follows Alex and the remaining survivors as they attempt to thwart death’s advances while the grim reaper tries to repay them for skipping out on fate.
Earning more than $112 million at the global box office,Final Destinationsoared past its production budget of $23 million, marking it as a financial success for the studio. Seeing room for improvement and a franchising opportunity, New Line Cinema flashed the green light for a sequel to go into development, withFinal Destination 2arriving three years later. Despite an ever-changing call sheet from film to film, the movies have continued to grip their dedicated following, with the sixth installment,Final Destination: Bloodlines, set for a theatrical arrival on May 16.
Tango with fate whenFinal Destinationarrives on Paramount+ on January 2.
Final Destination
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