As the horror series celebrates its 25th anniversary, ‘Final Destination’ director James Wong has theorised the franchise remains popular because its “visceral and surprising” contents elicits such strong reactions from audiences.
‘Final Destination’ director James Wong believes the horror series is successful because it is “so visceral and surprising” for audiences.
The 43-year-old filmmaker helmed the first ‘Final Destination’ movie in 2000 and the third flick in 2006, and has now shared his beliefs that the franchise has remained popular because viewers react so strongly to its gory content.
Speaking with Bloody Disgusting, Wong recalled: “I went into the theater during the first run, because I love watching a movie with an audience. We suddenly saw a bunch of ushers from the theater walk in in the middle of the movie and just stand by the side.
“And I realised it was right before the bus hit. They just wanted to see the audience react.
“I think they did a whole advertising campaign where they had cameras on an actual audience, and popcorn’s flying and all that stuff.
“That’s the reaction that I’m sort of most proud of in all my filmmaking. It’s so visceral and surprising. I really feel like that’s the kind of fun that ‘Final Destination’ delivers on a film-to-film basis. I think that’s why it survived.”
Reflecting on what makes ‘Final Destination’ different to other horror series, the director explained his franchise focuses on the personification of death as the true antagonist, rather than a singular villain, such as Freddy Krueger or Jason from the ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ and ‘Friday the 13th’ franchises respectively.
He said: “Other franchises are based on the charisma of the killer, or the lack of charisma sometimes. The teenagers are really just fodder for the kill, and the fun is watching how Jason or Freddy kills them.
“For ‘Final Destination’, death itself is interchangeable within our lives. It could come from any direction. You don’t have to be at Camp Crystal Lake in order to to encounter the killer. The killer’s all around us.
“I think that idea is what makes it long lasting. It could be anything in the room that you’re in or the place that you’re traveling.”
Wong added this concept of personified death was nearly more literal in ‘Final Destination’, with a Grim Reaper swooping in to claim the souls of the damned.
The ‘X-Files’ filmmaker said: “Death was sort of personified — maybe not as much as, like, ‘The Seventh Seal’, but there was a guy with a scythe, as I remember — and we wanted to not do that. We thought, ‘Well, maybe the best way for us to do this is change who the killer is.'”
After Wong exited the series in 2006, ‘Final Destination’ continued with ‘The Final Destination’ in 2009, and ‘Final Destination 5’ in 2011.
‘Final Destination’ is set to return to the silver screen in May for ‘Final Destination: Bloodlines’ – which will be directed by Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein – and Wong admitted he didn’t expect the horror series to have the stamina it has.
He said: “I thought the fifth was the end, the capper, because it kind of reverted back to the first one, but I’m super happy that they’re doing it.
“I have no idea what the sixth one’s about. I’m excited to learn as well as, hopefully, the audience. Craig [Perry, franchise producer] says people love the trailer and people love the movie in test screenings, so I’m excited for it.
“To be honest with you, I never expected that movie would go beyond the first one, so I’m just tickled.”
‘I think that’s why it survived’: Final Destination director reveals what makes series popular
