The Final Destination Franchise Returns — With Blood Ties and Filipino Representation

Death never forgets — and this time, it’s coming for a family bound by blood and nightmare. Final Destination: Bloodlines marks a chilling new chapter in the beloved horror franchise, now more twisted than ever. Rated R-16 without cuts, the film is now showing in cinemas nationwide.

What makes this installment extra special? Leading the cast are two part-Filipino rising stars — Kaitlyn Santa Juana and Teo Briones — bringing diversity and heart to the blood-spattered legacy.

“We Needed Real Chemistry”: Building a Believable Family Under Fire

Co-director Zach Lipovsky emphasized the unique challenge this new story posed: “Not only did we have to find amazing actors that all feel unique, grounded, and relatable, but they all had to work together as a family – you really needed to believe their chemistry and history from all having been together for a really long time.”

He added, “It wasn’t just about finding strong actors. They needed to feel like a unit, with deep, believable history. Kaitlyn and Teo brought that, and more.”

Kaitlyn Santa Juana is Stefanie: Survivor, Scholar, Action Hero

Best known for Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway and TV’s The Flash, Canadian-Filipino actress Kaitlyn Santa Juana plays the lead role of Stefanie — a brainy college student tormented by disturbing nightmares. Stefanie, as “a brainiac college student, very studious, top of her class. But she’s been suffering from nightmares that prevent her from reaching her full potential. And then she becomes like an action hero girl.” 

Santa Juana says, “I mapped her out and, maybe this is a personal thing for me but, I think Stefani is three different people over the course of the movie. She’s kind of a detective in the beginning, trying to find answers to why she’s having the dream and why it keeps happening. And once she finds out, she becomes the protector of her family. And towards the end, she becomes a survivor of everything that she and her family have gone through.”

“What’s unique about this movie,” says Santa Juana, “is that it’s not a premonition, it’s a recurring nightmare of something that happened 50 years ago. It’s a huge twist.” Santa Juana’s previous acting works include “Dear Evan Hansen” on Broadway, and TV’s “The Flash.”

Teo Briones Steps In As Charlie: Brother, Fighter, Finalist

Filipino-American actor Teo Briones — a franchise fan himself — plays Stefanie’s younger brother, Charlie. “‘Final Destination 3’ is one of my favorite horror movies of all time,” he says. Devon Sawa, the star of the first movie, played Briones’s father in the first season of the “Chucky” TV series, which Briones was a part of. “Devon was the first person I texted when I got the part!” Briones says. They met up a few months later and, he says, “Devon regaled me with all kinds of stories that made me realize the ride I was in for. He told me that being a part of a death is a long and arduous process. The days are long and brutal, but they’re fun, and he told me I was in for an awesome journey that I was never going to forget. And that’s true!”

Of his work with Santa Juana, Briones says, “My relationship and connection with my own sister is one of the most important things in my life. Being able to recreate that a little bit in this movie was very special. Kaitlyn’s amazing, she’s so easy to work with. It didn’t really feel like acting in our scenes; it just felt like I was talking to my big sister.” Briones’s big sister is actress Isa Briones, who plays the divisive Dr. Santos on “The Pitt.” Their father is also an actor, JonJon Briones, who played the Engineer in the West End revival of “Miss Saigon,” and is also known for TV work including “Ratched” and the Emmy-winning “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story.”

Teo comes from a lineage of talent, too. He’s the son of JonJon Briones (Miss Saigon, Ratched) and brother to Isa Briones (The Pitt).

A Terrifying New Beginning: The Premise of “Final Destination: Bloodlines”

In this film, college student Stefanie returns home, haunted by a nightmare tied to a horrific event five decades ago. Racing against fate, she seeks the only person who might stop the deadly chain — and save her family from the grisly justice of Death itself.

Behind the Scenes of Horror Excellence

Directed by Adam Stein and Zach Lipovsky, Final Destination: Bloodlines is written by Guy Busick and Lori Evans Taylor, based on a story by Jon Watts. It stars Kaitlyn Santa Juana, Teo Briones, Richard Harmon, Owen Patrick Joyner, Anna Lore, Rya Kihlstedt, Brec Bassinger, and the franchise’s iconic Tony Todd.

Backed by New Line Cinema and produced by franchise veterans Craig Perry and Sheila Hanahan Taylor, the film promises nail-biting suspense, signature set-pieces, and plenty of bloody surprises.

“Final Destination: Bloodlines” is now showing in Philippine cinemas — R-16, no cuts. This is one chilling ride you’ll want to experience with friends.

_{Photo & Video Credit: “Warner Bros. Pictures”}