Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein in Talks to Direct Paramount’s ‘The Traveler’ After ‘Final Destination Bloodlines’
Lipovsky and Stein Take the Helm of Skydance’s The Traveler
Filmmakers Lipovsky and Stein have stepped in to direct the upcoming Skydance project The Traveler, succeeding Lee Isaac Chung, who departed the role due to scheduling conflicts with his work on the Ocean’s 11 prequel for Warner Bros.
While specific details about the film’s storyline remain closely guarded, it is based on Joseph Eckert’s forthcoming novel Traveler. Sources indicate that the narrative centers on Scott Treder, a 47-year-old biology technician experiencing involuntary time jumps. The project has attracted interest for a feature adaptation, particularly after an earlier version of the script by Austin Everett made industry headlines by landing on the Blood List, Hit List, and Black List. MGM showed interest in developing the film back in 2019.
The current draft has been penned by Justin Rhodes, known for Terminator: Dark Fate. Adam Rosenberg of Aro Pictures will produce alongside Rodney Rothman.
“It’s very rare to read a script that you connect to so deeply,” Lipovsky remarked. “Honestly, I’ve been emailing our agents every six months for six years asking, ‘What’s the latest with that project?’ So the second it became available, we were in there the next day pitching our hearts out because it was the one that got away six years ago.”
Stein added that the project encompasses “everything we love in terms of an original sci-fi story that is very grounded, in terms of character, but has a very elevated theme of what it’s trying to say.”
Lipovsky and Stein have seen a surge in demand following the successful release of Final Destination Bloodlines, which emerged this summer as the highest-grossing and best-reviewed installment of the franchise, earning over $315 million worldwide. Their rapid ascent in the industry is notable, especially considering they recently completed filming a sequel to Freaks, the project that first brought them to New Line’s attention. They are also co-writing Gremlins 3 with Chris Columbus for Warner Bros., and directing Long Lost for Universal and The Earthling for Sony. These projects highlight the growing influence of Lipovsky and Stein in Hollywood.
The two directors are represented by Verve, Scott Glassgold of Ground Control, and Jamie Feldman at Lichter, Grossman, Nichols.
