Death is back with a vengeance, and audiences are clearly ready for it. Final Destination: Bloodlines, the long-awaited sixth instalment in the wildly successful slasher franchise, has made a thunderous return to the cultural conversation, racking up a staggering 178.7 million views across the globe within 24 hours of its trailer launch. That number puts it firmly behind only one title in the horror trailer rankings—It (2017), which remains the reigning champion with nearly 200 million views. For New Line Cinema, which produced both titles, it’s another indicator that their understanding of modern horror trends is razor-sharp.

Releasing the trailer simultaneously across 65 global markets and translated into 44 different languages, Warner Bros. pulled out all the stops to maximise reach—and it worked. Reactions flooded social media almost instantly, with fans praising the return of the franchise’s signature Rube Goldberg-style death sequences and inventively cruel setups. The hashtag #FinalDestinationBloodlines trended across...