The directors of Final Destination Bloodlines are boarding Paramount‘s new time travel movie, a report detailing what to expect from the project. Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein directed the commercially and critically successful Final Destination Bloodlines, the sixth installment in the horror franchise. Their work paved the way for a sequel, which will be directed by Michiel Blanchart.
Now, Deadline has confirmed Lipovsky and Stein’s next project will be Paramount’s time travel movie, aptly titled, The Traveler. According to the report, the Final Destination Bloodlines directors are in the final stages of signing on to direct the movie. The sci-fi drama was originally supposed to be directed by Lee Isaac Chung, who exited seemingly due to the upcoming Oceans 11 prequel.
The movie was written by Justin Rhodes, best known for his work on Terminator: Dark Fate. The Traveler will also be produced by Adam Rosenberg of Aro Pictures and Rodney Rothman. Discussing the movie, Lipovsky and Stein explained how they’d wanted to be involved in the project for many years and are both grateful and hopeful about the opportunity:
Zach Lipovsky: It’s very rare to read a script that you connect to so deeply. And honestly, I’ve been emailing our agents every six months for six years being like, ‘What’s the latest with that project?’ So the second it became available, we were in there the next day pitching our hearts out to be on that film. Because it was the one that got away six years ago.
Adam Stein: [The Traveler’s] got everything we love in terms of an original sci-fi story that is very grounded, in terms of character, but has a very elevated theme of what it’s trying to say.
Although exact details about The Traveler aren’t being revealed, the movie will be based on an upcoming book by Joseph Eckert of the same name. According to the report, the story follows 47-year-old biology technician Scott Treder, who begins to jump through time against his will. Austin Everett wrote the original script in 2019, garnering significant interest.
The Traveler was originally going to be produced by MGM, which is when Lipovsky and Stein first heard of the project.
The Traveler is one of many projects Lipovsky and Stein are currently attached to. The pair are also on board to co-write the upcoming Gremlins 3, which is due for release on November 19, 2027. They’re also directing the films Long Lost and The Earthling. In addition, they’ve also finished filming Freaks Underground, a sequel to their 2018 movie Freaks.
Even though details about The Traveler are sparse, the varied extent of projects Lipovsky and Stein are currently attached to makes it seem like they’ll be able to handle it. Given how Final Destination Bloodlines ended up being character-driven and gory, elevating the franchise’s expectations, the pair will likely ensure the time travel movie embodies expectations.
With The Traveler having a promising history of intrigue from various studios, Lipovsky and Stein’s attachment is a good sign for its future. Given their deals with various other studios aside from Paramount, though, it’s unclear if the duo will have the movie done sooner or later than their other slated projects.
