Fresh off Final Destination Bloodlines, directors Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein continue to be in high demand. According to Deadline, the filmmaking duo is now in final talks to direct the sci-fi drama The Traveler for Paramount.

The project is based on the upcoming novel Traveler by Joseph Eckert, which is set to be published on June 9, 2026. The story centers on Scott Treder, a 47-year-old biology technician whose life is thrown into chaos when he begins experiencing involuntary jumps through time. What starts as an intimate family drama gradually expands into a sweeping science-fiction odyssey.

Lipovsky and Stein are expected to take over directing duties from Lee Isaac Chung, who recently exited the project. An earlier draft of the screenplay by Austin Everett earned industry attention, landing on the Blood List, Hit List, and Black List. The current draft was penned by Justin Rhodes (Terminator: Dark Fate).

The directors have reportedly been tracking the project for years, dating back to the release of their indie sci-fi feature Freaks.

“It’s very rare to read a script that you connect to so deeply,” Lipovsky said. “I’ve been emailing our agents every six months for six years asking about this project. The moment it became available, we jumped in immediately.”

Stein echoed that enthusiasm, describing The Traveler as a project that balances grounded character work with elevated science-fiction ideas. “It’s got everything we love,” he said, “an original sci-fi story that’s deeply human but also trying to say something bigger.”

The Traveler joins an increasingly packed slate for Lipovsky and Stein. The duo is also co-writing a new Gremlins film with Chris Columbus for Warner Bros., directing Long Lost for Universal and Amblin, and The Earthling for Sony.