Connect with us

Film & TV

‘Final Destination: Bloodlines’ Trailer: A Farewell to Tony Todd

Published

on

Warner Bros. Pictures released the official Final Destination: Bloodlines trailer earlier today. This sixth installment, set to hit theaters on May 16, 2025, promises to deliver the gruesome, fate-defying thrills that made the series a cultural phenomenon. But beyond the elaborate death sequences and supernatural suspense, the trailer carries a bittersweet weight as it marks the final on-screen performance of horror legend Tony Todd, who passed away in November 2024. He returns as William Bludworth, Todd’s enigmatic mortician, who has been a cornerstone of the Final Destination saga.

Final Destination
Final Destination: Bloodlines official poster

A Glimpse into ‘Final Destination: Bloodlines’

The trailer opens with an eerie sense of inevitability, a hallmark of the franchise. It introduces college student Stefanie (Kaitlyn Santa Juana), plagued by violent recurring nightmares that foretell her family’s gruesome demise. As she races home to break the cycle, the footage teases a dual-timeline narrative, hinting at a grandmother’s past evasion of death in the 1960s that now haunts her descendants. Directors Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein lean into the series’ signature Rube Goldberg-style kills, with a chilling teaser clip showing a bartender unwittingly serving a drink laced with a glass shard. The trailer’s tagline, “If you screw with Death’s plans, things can get very messy,” sets the tone for a blood-soaked return to form.

The cast, including rising stars like Brec Bassinger, Teo Briones, and Richard Harmon, brings fresh energy to the franchise, but Tony Todd’s presence anchors the film in its legacy.

Written by Guy Busick and Lori Evans Taylor, with a story co-developed by Jon Watts, Bloodlines promises to explore new layers of the Final Destination mythology—potentially diving into Bludworth’s mysterious backstory—while delivering the visceral thrills fans crave.

Photo: Warner Bros.

Tony Todd’s Final Bow as William Bludworth

Tony Todd, who succumbed to stomach cancer at age 69, leaves behind an indelible mark on horror cinema with over 240 credits, including iconic roles in Candyman and The Crow. In Final Destination, his portrayal of William Bludworth—a cryptic figure who dispenses ominous warnings about Death’s design—has been a fan favorite since the 2000 original. Todd reprised the role in Final Destination 2 and 5 (with a voice cameo in 3), and Warner Bros. confirmed his return in Bloodlines after he completed filming in Vancouver from March to May 2024, months before his passing.

The trailer offers brief but powerful glimpses of Todd, his deep voice and commanding presence as haunting as ever. Reports suggest this installment will peel back the curtain on Bludworth’s origins, which has fans speculating about his connection to Death. His final performance is predicted to be a poignant farewell, blending nostalgia with the promise of fresh revelations and unearthed secrets.

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Film & TV

Spike Lee’s ‘Highest 2 Lowest’ Trailer Drops: Denzel Washington and ASAP Rocky Shine in Thrilling Crime Drama

Published

on

Highest to Lowest

The highly anticipated trailer for Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest, starring Denzel Washington, dropped today. This marks the duo’s fifth collaboration, a reunion nearly two decades in the making since their last joint project, Inside Man (2006).

The trailer, released by A24 and Apple Original Films, offers a gripping glimpse into a modern reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 classic High and Low, set against the vibrant backdrop of New York City’s music industry. Here’s everything you need to know about the trailer, cast, and what to expect from this electrifying crime thriller.

The Highest 2 Lowest trailer features Denzel Washington as David King, a charismatic music mogul renowned for having the “best ears in the business.” When a ransom plot threatens his empire, King confronts a life-or-death moral dilemma that challenges his values and legacy.

Highest 2 lowest

This neo-noir crime thriller also stars A$AP Rocky as Yung Felon, the antagonist who goes “toe-to-toe” with Washington, delivering a performance that Lee has praised as “fire.” The cast is rounded out by Jeffrey Wright as King’s chauffeur, Ilfenesh Hadera as his wife Pam, and Ice Spice in her feature film debut, alongside Dean Winters, LaChanze, and John Douglas Thompson. The trailer also teases original music from A$AP Rocky.

Highest 2 Lowest is a bold reimagining of Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low, itself based on Ed McBain’s 1959 novel King’s Ransom. While Kurosawa’s original centered on a shoe company executive facing an extortion plot, Lee’s version transplants the story to modern-day New York City, weaving in themes of wealth, power, and moral complexity. The trailer emphasizes Lee’s vibrant, theatrical direction, with vivid visuals captured by cinematographer Matthew Libatique.

Highest 2 Lowest is set for a limited theatrical release on August 15, 2025, through A24, followed by streaming on Apple TV+ starting September 5, 2025.

Watch the official trailer below.

Continue Reading

Film & TV

Smoke Review: A Slow-Burn Thriller with Standout Performances

Published

on

Each of the episodes of Smoke — a nine-episode crime drama that debuted on Apple TV+ on June 27, 2025 — is a gripping exploration of arson, trauma, and moral ambiguity. Developed by Dennis Lehane and adapted from the Firebug podcast, the series follows arson investigator Dave Gudsen (Taron Egerton) and detective Michelle Calderon (Jurnee Smollett) as they search for two serial arsonists through the fictional Pacific Northwest town of Umberland. Featuring a terrific array of characters and a generally cool smoky look, Smoke generates a good deal of interest but does not quite seem to achieve full narrative traction.

Set against a chilling and atmospheric backdrop, the series is a riveting, twisting, and insidious mystery that will have readers on the edge of their seats until the finale. The show explores themes such as guilt, narcissism, and self-deception through the use of fire as a metaphor for moral and emotional decay. It begins as a typical cop show, but evolves into a twisty narrative that challenges expectations, though some plot turns sometimes feel abrupt or underdeveloped.

Smoke
Taron Egerton as Dave Gudsen and Jurnee Smollett as Michelle Calderon in SMOKE / source: Apple TV+

The ensemble is a highlight. Taron Egerton is excellent as the former firefighter-turned-investigator Dave Gudsen, a man of entangled desires and weaknesses. Jurnee Smollett is right there with him as Michelle Calderon, channeling steely resolve and emotional complexity into a detective wrestling with her own history. Supporting players like Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, who portrays the enigmatic Freddy Fasano, and Greg Kinnear, as the fire chief, are also doing a brilliant job. As a lonely soul in agony, Mwine gives us something frighteningly real.

Smoke is a worthy binge for those who enjoy character-driven crime dramas, tinged by Egerton and Smollett’s riveting performances. Although its sleek execution and psychological richness keep it compelling, the show doesn’t always fulfill the promise of its early episodes, stumbling into an overly repetitive, overly ambitious storytelling scope. Yet, it’s a strong addition to Apple TV+’s expanding roster of prestige dramas, ideal for those who like their mysteries slow-burning and a bit dark.

Smoke is available on Apple TV+. New episodes drop weekly through August 15, 2025.

Continue Reading

Film & TV

Keke Palmer Is A Criminal Mastermind in ‘The Pickup’ Starring Eddie Murphy & Pete Davidson (Trailer)

Published

on

The Pickup

Amazon MGM Studios has released the official trailer for The Pickup, an upcoming action-comedy film starring Keke Palmer, Eddie Murphy, and Pete Davidson. The trailer offers a glimpse into a high-stakes heist story. Directed by Tim Story, the film will premiere exclusively on Prime Video on August 6, 2025.

The trailer introduces a fast-paced narrative centered on a routine cash delivery gone awry. Murphy plays Russell, a seasoned armored truck driver, and Davidson portrays Travis, his less-experienced colleague. Their ordinary workday takes a dramatic turn when they are ambushed by a group of criminals led by Zoe, played by Palmer, who is described as a savvy mastermind with plans extending beyond the cash cargo. The clip reveals that Zoe’s scheme involves a $60 million casino heist, and she leverages personal connections—Travis’s recent one-night stand with her and a threat to Russell’s wife, played by Eva Longoria—to force the duo’s cooperation.

The Pickup poster

Helmed by Story, known for Barbershop, Ride Along, and The Blackening, The Pickup is produced by Story’s The Story Company, alongside John Davis and John Fox of Davis Entertainment, and Eddie Murphy and Charisse Hewitt-Webster via Eddie Murphy Productions. The screenplay is written by Kevin Burrows and Matt Mider (The Package). Executive producers include Vicky Mara Story, Jeremy Stein, Kevin Burrows, Ross Fanger, and Matt Mider.

Principal photography took place in Atlanta beginning in April 2024, though an on-set accident during second-unit filming of an action scene resulted in injuries to crew members, as previously reported.

Watch the trailer for The Pickup below.

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2024 Hollywood Melanin