Final Destination: Bloodlines Directors in Talks for a Bold Sci-Fi Pivot with The Traveler

File this under classic Hollywood timing: The Traveler just lost one high-profile director and is about to land two very different ones who have been chasing it for years.

The director shuffle

Lee Isaac Chung, fresh off Twisters, was set to direct The Traveler for Paramount and Skydance. He had to bow out thanks to schedule clashes with the Ocean's 11 prequel over at Warner Bros., which he is also developing. With Chung stepping away, Paramount and Skydance pivoted to Adam B. Stein and Zach Lipovsky, the duo behind Final Destination: Bloodlines. Per Deadline, Stein and Lipovsky are in final negotiations to take over, and they have been trying to get on this project for six years.

Wait, what is The Traveler?

This one has an unusual paper trail. Scripts for The Traveler have been floating around town for years, but the movie is said to be based on a Joseph Eckert novel that does not hit shelves until June 9, 2026. That sounds odd at first, but it likely means the movie is working off Eckert's manuscript while the book winds its way to publication. The story starts as a small, personal family drama and scales up into a big sci-fi journey.

At the center is Scott Treder, a 47-year-old biology tech who starts slipping through time against his will. His first jump is a doozy: one minute he is driving to work at 7:51 a.m. on Monday, April 13, and the next he is sprawled on the road with his car gone, a phone full of panicked messages, and the clock reading 7:52 a.m. on Tuesday, April 14. The broader hook is Scott's relationship with his son and how their connection survives across huge stretches of time.

How the script evolved

Austin Everett wrote the first script, which made the Black List, the Blood List, and the Hit List. The current draft is by Justin Rhodes. That lineage plus the long gestation explains why so many folks have chased it.

"It is very rare to read a script that hits you that hard. I have literally been emailing our agents every six months for six years asking, 'Any movement on that one?' The second it opened up, we were in the room the next day pitching our hearts out. It was the one that got away six years ago."

Stein has described the project as exactly their sweet spot: character-first, original sci-fi with big ideas.

• Status check: Paramount and Skydance are moving ahead with Stein and Lipovsky in final talks to direct.
• Source material: Based on Joseph Eckert's novel, slated for publication June 9, 2026, though the film has been developed from scripts for years.
• Story snapshot: A reluctant time traveler, Scott Treder, and the bond with his son that endures across millennia. Kicks off with a one-day jump that upends his life.
• Script history: First draft by Austin Everett (Black List, Blood List, Hit List); current draft by Justin Rhodes.
• Why these directors: Their Final Destination: Bloodlines became the franchise's best-reviewed and top-grossing entry, pulling in over $315 million worldwide.
• What they are juggling: They are attached to direct Long Lost for Universal and The Earthling for Sony, co-wrote Gremlins 3 with original Gremlins writer Chris Columbus, who is set to direct, and have reportedly wrapped a sequel to their sci-fi thriller Freaks.

Where this is headed

Assuming the deal closes, Stein and Lipovsky will finally get their shot at the project they have been stalking for half a decade. Between their horror hit and a crowded slate, Paramount and Skydance are clearly betting they can bring scale without losing the character core.

Curious about The Traveler with this team onboard, or would you rather have seen Chung stick with it? Drop your thoughts below.