All Final Destination Movies In Order: The Complete Chronological Timeline, Including The New 2025 Prequel
The *Final Destination* franchise is one of the most enduring and inventive supernatural horror series in cinema history, captivating audiences with its ingenious and elaborate death sequences. As of December 21, 2025, the series includes five released films and a highly anticipated sixth installment, *Final Destination: Bloodlines*, set to premiere in 2025. This guide provides the definitive list of all the movies in the franchise, presented in both their original release order and the more complex, canon-shattering chronological timeline, which is essential for understanding the full story of "Death's design."
The core concept of the series is simple: a group of people narrowly escapes a catastrophic event thanks to a character's vivid premonition, only to find themselves hunted down by an invisible, malevolent force—Death itself. However, the order in which the films were released is not the order in which the events actually happen, a twist that has cemented the franchise's topical authority among horror fans and casual viewers alike.
The Final Destination Movies in Release Order (The Viewer's Journey)
Watching the films in their release order is the most straightforward way to experience the *Final Destination* saga, allowing you to appreciate the evolution of the special effects, the growing complexity of the "rules," and the recurring presence of the mysterious mortician, William Bludworth, played by Tony Todd. This is the order in which most fans were introduced to the concept of cheating Death.
- 1. Final Destination (2000)
- Protagonist/Visionary: Alex Browning (Devon Sawa)
- Main Premonition: The catastrophic explosion of Volée Airlines Flight 180 shortly after takeoff.
- Key Entity: The film that started it all, establishing the core rule: once you cheat Death, you are next on its list, and the survivors die in the order they would have perished on the plane.
- 2. Final Destination 2 (2003)
- Protagonist/Visionary: Kimberly Corman (A.J. Cook)
- Main Premonition: A massive, deadly pile-up on Route 23.
- Key Entity: This sequel introduced the concept of "new life" being able to disrupt Death's design and featured the return of Clear Rivers (Ali Larter) from the first film, directly linking the two stories.
- 3. Final Destination 3 (2006)
- Protagonist/Visionary: Wendy Christensen (Mary Elizabeth Winstead)
- Main Premonition: A fatal derailment of the Devil's Flight roller coaster.
- Key Entity: The film popularized the use of photographs to reveal clues about the survivors' impending deaths, a unique visual element that added to the series' mythology. It was directed by James Wong, who also helmed the original.
- 4. The Final Destination (2009)
- Protagonist/Visionary: Nick O'Bannon (Bobby Campo)
- Main Premonition: A horrific multi-car crash and explosion at the McKinley Speedway race.
- Key Entity: Marketed as the "final" installment, this film was shot in 3D, capitalizing on the elaborate and visceral nature of the death scenes, though its critical reception was generally poor compared to its predecessors.
- 5. Final Destination 5 (2011)
- Protagonist/Visionary: Sam Lawton (Nicholas D'Agosto)
- Main Premonition: The catastrophic collapse of the North Bay Bridge.
- Key Entity: Considered by many fans and critics to be a return to form, the film's ending delivered a shocking twist, revealing it was actually a direct prequel to the original 2000 film, effectively rebooting the timeline. This twist is the single most important factor in the chronological viewing order.
The Complete Final Destination Chronological Timeline
For a true deep dive into the lore of the *Final Destination* universe, the films must be viewed in their chronological order. This timeline, which places the prequels first, allows for a seamless narrative flow where one film's disaster directly sets up the next, creating a more cohesive story about Death's relentless pursuit across generations. The most recent updates regarding *Bloodlines* have further complicated and enriched this timeline.
1. Final Destination: Bloodlines (2025)
The latest installment, *Final Destination 6*, is officially titled *Final Destination: Bloodlines* and is confirmed to be a prequel, set decades before the original film. Directed by Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein, with a story by *Spider-Man* director Jon Watts, this film is set to explore the origins of the phenomenon in the 1960s. The plot reportedly centers on a grandmother's premonition, suggesting a generational link to the curse. The return of Tony Todd as William Bludworth is highly anticipated, as his character is expected to provide context to the franchise's mythology. The film is scheduled for release on May 16, 2025.
- Release Date: May 16, 2025 (Theatrical)
- Setting: The 1960s
- Key Cast: Kaitlyn Santa Juana, Teo Briones, Richard Harmon, Anna Lore, Brec Bassinger, and Tony Todd.
- Significance: It will be the earliest event in the entire timeline, potentially revealing how "Death's design" first began to manifest.
2. Final Destination 5 (2011)
Despite being the fifth film released, *Final Destination 5* is the true on-screen starting point for the modern-day saga. The film concludes with the protagonist, Sam Lawton, and his friend, attempting to escape their fate by boarding a plane—which is revealed to be Volée Airlines Flight 180. This shocking reveal links the bridge collapse disaster directly to the events of the first film, making the entire film a setup for the original.
3. Final Destination (2000)
The plane crash that Alex Browning foresees is the direct consequence of the survivors from *Final Destination 5* boarding the flight. The first film's characters, including Alex and Clear Rivers, are killed in the order they would have died in the crash, establishing the rules that Kimberly Corman will later investigate. The original film’s success led to the entire supernatural horror franchise.
4. Final Destination 2 (2003)
Set exactly one year after the first film, *Final Destination 2* follows Kimberly Corman, whose highway pile-up premonition is directly linked to the consequences of the Flight 180 disaster. The film introduces the rule that "new life" can permanently stop Death's pursuit, which is why Kimberly seeks out Clear Rivers and the other survivors from the first film, making it a true continuation of the original story arc.
5. Final Destination 3 (2006)
The third installment returns to the classic formula, focusing on Wendy Christensen and the Devil's Flight roller coaster derailment. The film's only potential link to the larger timeline is a brief mention of a survivor of the Flight 180 disaster, though the main plot is largely self-contained, following the established rules of Death's design. The film’s focus on photo clues is one of its most unique elements.
6. The Final Destination (2009)
The fourth film, centered around Nick O'Bannon and the McKinley Speedway crash, is generally considered the least essential to the overall mythology. While it adheres to the established rules of the supernatural horror franchise, it offers no significant chronological links or twists to the other films, making it the final entry in the current timeline before the grand reveal of *Final Destination 5*. It is primarily known for its extensive use of 3D technology to enhance the elaborate death sequences.
The Enduring Legacy of Death's Design
The *Final Destination* franchise has become a landmark in horror cinema not just for its shocking and iconic deaths—from the tanning bed incident to the laser eye surgery—but for its exploration of fate versus free will. The entity known simply as "Death" is the true villain, an unseen force that uses Rube Goldberg-style accidents to reclaim the lives that escaped its initial design. This thematic consistency, coupled with the recurring presence of William Bludworth, the cryptic mortician, provides a strong topical authority that keeps fans invested.
The upcoming *Final Destination: Bloodlines* promises to deepen this lore by exploring the 1960s setting and potentially revealing the true origin of the premonitions and the rules of Death's pursuit. For long-time fans and newcomers alike, the best way to prepare for the 2025 film is to binge-watch the existing series in the correct chronological order: *Final Destination 5*, *Final Destination*, *Final Destination 2*, *Final Destination 3*, and *The Final Destination*—and then wait for the true beginning with *Bloodlines*.
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