The directors of Final Destination Bloodlines have finally talked about the film’s ending, revealing an alternate ending that the sixth Final Destination movie almost went with. Final Destination Bloodlines has quickly become one of the most beloved films in the Final Destination franchise, and while it ends on a similar note to its predecessors, this wasn’t always the case.

Speaking with Screen Rant’s Ash Crossan, Final Destination Bloodlines directors Adam Stein & Zach Lipovsky were asked if they ever considered keeping the main two characters, Stefani and Charlie, alive. The duo died in a freak accident at the end of Final Destination Bloodlines, but as the duo directed, this wasn’t the original ending.

According to Stein, “the script went through so many different versions,” meaning that all kinds of possibilities were explored. Stein reveals that one of these potential endings saw Stefani make it to Iris’ old cabin, where she remained so that Charlie could continue living. However, the team decided that ending on this melancholy note “didn’t feel right for Final Destination.” Here are Stein’s full comments:

Yeah. I mean, the script went through so many different versions, and we explored every different possibility. I think one of the early drafts of the script ended with Stephanie making it inside the cabin and basically ended with her—that she’s going to live the rest of her life in the cabin to protect Charlie. And it sort of had this depressing feeling in the end. It was like, ‘Oh, okay, I get it. She’s the new Iris. She’s going to live her whole life in the cabin to protect her little brother.’ And it kind of emotionally made sense, but not in terms of the movie-going experience. It kind of ended on a sad, melancholy note, which just didn’t feel right for Final Destination. You kind of want people to leave with a spring in their step and a smile on their face. And so we went through lots of different versions with the key thing being unpredictability. How do you make people think they know what’s going to happen and then twist it, while also leaving them with a smile on their face when they leave the theater? So it’s a lot of tricky things to balance there. But yeah, we’ve definitely explored lots of possibilities.

What This Alternate Ending Means For Final Destination Bloodlines

It Was Changed To Fit The Franchise’s Tone

It is interesting to know that the ending of Final Destination Bloodlines wasn’t always the final ending, and it is incredibly interesting to know why it was changed. Stefani moving into Iris’ cabin feels like the ending that was set up by the movie’s story. The film’s final ending feels a bit out of nowhere, with some fans not being huge fans of it.

However, out-of-nowhere endings have been core to the Final Destination franchise since the very beginning. Several Final Destination movies have ended with the main characters suddenly being killed just as they think they are out of Death’s game. So, Stein is right in saying that this more thematic ending wasn’t what audiences were expecting.

Our Take On Final Destination Bloodlines’ Cut Ending

The Cut Ending May Have Been Better

Although the final ending of Final Destination Bloodlines makes sense for the tone of the franchise, the ending that Stein described seems like a better conclusion for the film. It would have tied into the familial aspect of the film, further connecting Stefani’s story to Iris’ story, while also being a bit more in-character for Stefani.

After how prepared Iris was, it is odd that Stefani let her guard down so quickly, leading to her death with the log truck. It is pretty obvious that there was once a better ending for Final Destination Bloodlines, and it is sad that this ending will never be seen.