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Final Destination Bloodlines directors will never attempt a boating disaster, because nobody beats James Cameron's Titanic
Our hearts may go on, but boating disasters in cinema have reached their peak. At least, according to Final Destination Bloodlines' Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein

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I, for one, adore the fact that there is one horror franchise out there solely dedicated to proving how everyday items and events could kill you in horrible ways. Everyone that's seen Final Destination Bloodlines has learned a couple of Death's new Rube Goldberg-esque tricks courtesy of directors Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein. But as the directors themselves will tell you, there's one sector of sudden cessation that they won't touch - that is, boating. And as to why?
Well, they say that Titanic did it best.
Lipovsky and Stein recently sat down with The Wrap to discuss inspritations for the sixth and latest entry into the Final Destination franchise, and during the discussion, the pair decided to reveal what early drafts of the film's opening sequence looked like. According to the creators, the cold open was originally set on a mid-century paddle wheelboat. But soon after the idea was pitched, they realized they couldn't outdo James Cameron.
"As soon as you have a sinking boat," Stein tells their interviewer, "You’re doing Titanic, except you’re doing it worse than Titanic."
Personally, I find that this admission speaks to the respect the directors have for their Final Destination kills, dedicated as they are to showing audiences the Reapers cold hand as they've never seen it before. The whole idea also has the potential to spark an interesting "Die Hard at Christmastime" argument as to whether or not Titanic can be a considered a horror movie.
That said, I will point out that there is a very small subgenre of cinematic thrillers that do focus on maritime disasters, 1972's The Poseidon Adventure and 2000's The Perfect Storm being amongst them. Are these movies "horror" in the purest sense of the word? Eh, maybe not, but add a couple more loose cords whipping around, a clever use of a life preserver, or an unfortunate scene in the engine room and just about any of these films, including Titanic, could be Final Destinationed right quick.
Just think of what a single stray seagull could've done to the "King of the World" scene.
Final Destination Bloodlines is playing in theaters now.
In the immortal words of Danny Elfman, "Life's no fun without a good scare." We couldn't agree more, which is why we've cobbled together a couple pieces to send a chill up your spine. Join Popverse as we explore:
- The best horror movies of all time, according to horror aficionado Greg Silber
- The most underrated horror movies from the past couple years
- All the new and upcoming horror movies for 2025 and beyond
And much gore. Er, more. Much more.
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