Steven Spielberg Taps Final Destination: Bloodlines Directors to Helm Thriller Long Lost

Here is a fun career loop: two filmmakers who once competed on a reality show Spielberg helped produce just landed a thriller that he is producing — and that is not even the only big franchise news they are tied to this week.

From reality show contestants to Spielberg-backed directors

Back in 2007, Adam B. Stein and Zach Lipovsky were contestants on the TV competition On the Lot, which had Steven Spielberg among its producers. Cut to now: industry scooper Jeff Sneider (The InSneider) says the duo, fresh off this year’s horror hit Final Destination: Bloodlines, have signed on to direct a thriller called Long Lost for Amblin Partners.

Spielberg is producing Long Lost alongside a pretty loaded team: Simon Kinberg and Audrey Chon for Genre Pictures, plus Scott Glassgold for Ground Control Entertainment.

So what is Long Lost?

Universal Pictures and Amblin Partners picked up the underlying material two years ago — a 50-page short story by Colin Bannon. Bannon wrote and directed the 2009 indie comedy Love Conquers Paul and, more importantly for this sort of dealmaking, he has had scripts land on the Black List a record seven times. He is also the one adapting his own story for the screen.

"In the vein of What Lies Beneath and Rosemary's Baby."

The hook is classic, nervy domestic suspense: a newlywed’s life spins out when her husband’s first wife — long presumed dead — suddenly walks back in. The new wife starts to suspect the old one is plotting to take her life back piece by piece. Simple setup, deliciously messy implications.

Meanwhile, Gremlins 3 is finally moving

Sneider also reports that Spielberg brought Stein and Lipovsky in to co-write the Gremlins 3 script with Chris Columbus. And yes, that tracks with yesterday’s update: Gremlins 3 is actually happening, aiming for a November 19, 2027 theatrical release, with Columbus directing and Spielberg executive producing.

What else the duo is juggling

Stein and Lipovsky have a sci-fi survival project called The Earthling in development at Columbia Pictures. Because their schedules are packed, they are not returning to direct the newly announced Final Destination 7. Last we heard, Belgian filmmaker Michiel Blanchart was in talks to take the job, which would mark his first English-language feature.

If you are keeping score: Spielberg kept tabs on these guys since that 2007 show, they just leveled up to a Spielberg-produced thriller, they are scripting a long-awaited Gremlins sequel with Columbus, and they are too busy to circle back for Final Destination 7. Not a bad week.