Two of the best horror franchises of all time are finally returning this year after more than a decade

The horror genre sees many reboots, revivals and requels, so the fact that we’re getting two surprise franchise titles in 2025 is impressive. First, Final Destination: Bloodlines is the first title in its series in almost a decade and a half and premieres on May 16th. Then on June 20th we get 28 years later – our first return to this zombie-infested world since 2007.

Videos from ComicBook.com

It’s no surprise that major franchises rely on title recognition and nostalgia, but the way it’s implemented in the horror genre can differ in some ways from other blockbusters. Whether it’s a hard reboot, a soft reboot, or a belated sequel, horror filmmakers are often praised for respecting their audience’s intelligence and taking creative approaches to their premises. In the cases of 28 years later And Final Destination: BloodlinesIn this sense, expectations are high.

Final Destination: Bloodlines

The sixth Final destination The film brings a new creative team to the franchise – screenwriters Guy Busick and Lori Evans Taylor and directors Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein. Due to the nature of these films, it is difficult to maintain recurring characters over a long period of time. The only confirmed returning cast member is Tony Todd as William Bludworth. The focus on this mysterious character is the most exciting part of this film’s premise that we’ve heard of so far.

(RELATED: These Are the 7 Best Movie Trailers of 2024 (Even If the Movies Weren’t Good))

Bludworth appeared in Final Destination, Final Destination 2 And Final destination 5. He is the owner of the Bludworth Funeral Home and appears to have supernatural knowledge of the nature of death. He often warns characters about situations in which they narrowly avoid death and experience premonitions. According to a report by Fucking disgusting, Bloodlines will explore William Bloodworth’s backstory, including flashbacks to his childhood that explain his connection to death.

We don’t have a trailer for it Final Destination: Bloodlines not yet, but it has already given us an incredible behind-the-scenes story. Sources close to the project reported The Hollywood Reporter that the studio was having difficulty finding a director for this revival until Lipovsky and Stein delivered an incredible performance in a video call. The two staged and pre-recorded a stunt for the interview to make it appear as if they had died in a freak accident – much like the characters in these films. They made it look like the fireplace behind them was getting out of control and the flames were spreading to the mantelpiece. They were barely able to put out the fire, but afterward, a ceiling fan broke off, fell, and appeared to decapitate the two filmmakers.

It was reportedly this passion for the franchise that led Lipovsky and Stein to get the job directing this film. Hopefully this familiarity and enthusiasm comes through in the finished product. Final Destination: Bloodlines hits theaters on May 16th.

28 years later

Just over a month later, we get the highly anticipated sequel 28 years later. The film brings back original screenwriter Alex Garland and director Danny Boyle after both of their absences 28 weeks later in 2007. The duo founded this franchise in 2002 with the low-budget hit 28 days later. Now they have big plans for the future of the series.

There is a lot we don’t know about the post-apocalyptic world 28 years laterwhere the infection that turns people into zombies is known as the “Rage Virus.” According to the film’s official synopsis, the virus has now spread worldwide, and small groups of survivors exist only through “ruthlessly enforced quarantine.” The community that is the subject of this story has settled on a small island, connected to the mainland only by a small, heavily guarded causeway.

The film stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer and Ralph Fiennes – all newcomers to the franchise. However, there is also original star Cillian Murphy reprising his role as Jim 28 days later. The scope of his role is unclear, but he has also been added to the cast of the next film. 28 years later: The Bone Temple. This complicates fan speculation that Jim himself was infected.

We will have the answers soon 28 years later And The Bone Temple were shot one after the other. The Bone Temple The release is scheduled for January 16, 2026, with another film said to be in development. After lying dormant for years, this series is coming back from the dead with a vengeance and fans online are clearly thrilled. 28 Years Later will be released on June 20th.

Streaming

The best thing about these two revivals is that they give fans an excuse to watch the other films with anticipation. For those interested: 28 days later And 28 weeks later are only available for rent or purchase in PVOD stores. You can find them on Apple TV, Fandango at Home and Prime Video or on physical media.

The Final destination It’s also difficult to track down the series. The first film was added to Paramount+ on January 1, but the second and third films are only available to stream on PVOD stores. The fourth film with the title The final destinationnow streaming on Max. For Final destination 5you need to return to the PVOD stores.