Hollywood has been in turmoil since the COVID-19 pandemic first shook theaters, but horror movies have been a rare exception. While studios push to support sequels and adaptations as the only truly financially viable releases, new horror franchises have been thriving in theaters without any hint of faltering.

M3GAN (2022), Smile (2022), and MaXXXine (2024) all proved to be extremely successful releases that impressed critics and audiences alike. Even franchise-focused horror movies have been shockingly viable, as Alien: Romulus (2024), Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024), A Quiet Place Part II (2020), and Five Nights at Freddy’s (2023) proved to be some of the most profitable releases of the post-pandemic era.

As those releases prove, supernatural horror has been an especially compelling angle for Hollywood recently. While streaming has been cutting into theatrical takes, Five Nights at Freddy’s released simultaneously on streaming and in theaters and still succeeded. Recently, another supernatural horror also thrived on both release platforms, despite staggering its debuts.

Final Destination Bloodline Is Dominating Streaming Charts

Final Destination Bloodlines has burst onto the streaming scene at the top of the charts. Originally released in theaters on May 16, 2025, the Final Destination revival is the sixth movie in the franchise but serves as a standalone release. It earned $285 million on a $50 million budget, becoming a critical and financial success.

The movie starred Kaitlyn Santa Juana (Stefani), Teo Briones (Charlie), and the late Tony Todd (William) in his final on-screen role. Though originally imagined as a streaming-only release, it only came to streaming on Friday, August 1, several months after its initial theatrical debut.

According to HBO Max’s numbers, Bloodlines is the #1 movie on the streaming giant. It debuted ahead of Death of a Unicorn, Sinners, Opus, and Marc Maron’s Panicked, which make up the rest of the top 5, respectively. Bloodlines‘ introduction to HBO Max pushed A Minecraft Movie into the #6 spot and off the top releases list.

What This Means For Final Destination Bloodlines

Horror continues to prove that box office turmoil does not necessarily impact every genre, but it is largely because of careful budget management. This movie was already financially successful before heading into streaming, because a $50 million budget meant that the studio needed just $125 million to break even. With a $150 million budget, it would have needed $375 million.

As it stands, theatrical audiences and streaming viewers can enjoy Bloodlines at their own pace without hampering its success. Defeating Sinners and A Minecraft Movie is an impressive accomplishment, made even better by the fact that the studio did not need to stress. Everything from here on is pure profit, and Warner Bros. must be thrilled.

Naturally, with so much success, Final Destination 7 is almost guaranteed, though it has not yet been officially confirmed. Co-directors Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein hinted that they are considering a follow-up, though it will “take some time” to plan. Even so, with Final Destination Bloodlines thriving in every medium, a sequel is sure to come.

Source: HBO Max