The Final Destination (2009)

The Final Destination is a 2009 American 3D supernatural horror film directed by David R. Ellis and written by Eric Bress. It is a standalone sequel to Final Destination 3 (2006) and the fourth installment in the Final Destination film series. It stars Bobby Campo in his feature film debut, Shantel VanSanten, and Mykelti Williamson. Produced by New Line Cinema, the film follows a group of people after they escape a deadly accident during a stock car race, with Death stalking and killing them one by one.

After the commercial success of Final Destination 3, a fourth film entered development and was planned to be in 3D, with Bress writing the script. The script impressed producer Craig Perry and New Line Cinema enough to green-light a fourth installment. James Wong was on board to direct, but because of scheduling conflicts, he decided to drop out. Consequently, the studio executives opted for David R. Ellis to return because of his work on Final Destination 2 (2003), who personally accepted because the film would be released in 3D. Filming began in March 2008 and ended late May in the same year.

The Final Destination was theatrically released on August 28, 2009, by Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema. It was the first film in the series to be shot in HD 3D and, as of May 2025, is the second highest-grossing Final Destination film, having earned $187.4 million worldwide. It received generally negative reviews from critics. A fifth film, Final Destination 5, was released in August 2011.