GameTimeline

Watch order

Friday the 13th movie watch order

Paramount and New Line Friday the 13th theatrical films starring Jason Voorhees—from Sean Cunningham’s Friday the 13th (1980) through Marcus Nispel’s 2009 reboot, plus the Freddy vs. Jason crossover. Release lists all twelve US premieres in order. Story follows the same twelve-film Jason path (release order matches in-fiction chronology for most fans). Horror neighbors: Halloween, Scream, and Saw.

Updated August 2026

Release order

When each Friday the 13th theatrical film opened in the US—from Friday the 13th (May 9, 1980) through Friday the 13th (February 13, 2009). Best first path: watch in premiere order so Pamela-to-Jason evolution, copycat killers, and sci-fi detours land in the order fans debated for decades.

  • First watch → Release: all twelve US premieres in order
  • Jason story → Story: same twelve films (release ≈ chronology)
  • Crossover → Freddy vs. Jason after Jason X on both tabs
  • 2009 reboot → standalone re-origin; last on both tabs
Story order tips

Jason Voorhees path—same twelve films as Release, in chronological story order. Camp Crystal Lake through Manhattan, hell, and the future, then the Freddy crossover and 2009 reboot. Release order matches story for this franchise more than most slashers.

  • 1980 → Friday the 13th (Camp Crystal Lake; Mrs. Voorhees)
  • 1981–1984 → Parts 2–4 (Jason rises; Tommy Jarvis era)
  • 1985 → A New Beginning (~five years after Part 4)
  • 1986–2003 → Jason Lives through Freddy vs. Jason
  • 2009 → reboot Friday the 13th (new continuity)

Timeline

When each season premiered in the US. Expand a row for dates and where it fits in your watch order.

Release order

  1. Friday the 13th

    Friday the 13th

    TheatricalStreamingCrystal LakeLive-action

    Sean Cunningham's 1980 summer-camp slasher invents Crystal Lake—Kevin Bacon, Adrienne King, and a twist that makes Pamela Voorhees the first killer before Jason dominates every sequel that follows on this twelve-film shelf.

    Overview
    Holiday-title slasher that turned a calendar date into a franchise brand. Opens both Release and Story; required before every Jason chapter.
    Related games
    Franchise origin. Story continues into Part 2. Neighbors: Halloween and Scream.
    Where it fits
    Start here on both tabs. Correct first watch before any sequel or the 2009 reboot—Pamela's reveal still defines the franchise grammar.
    Premiere dates
    US theatrical release May 9, 1980 (Paramount).
  2. Friday the 13th Part 2

    Friday the 13th Part 2

    TheatricalStreamingJason sagaLive-action

    Steve Miner's 1981 sequel introduces adult Jason Voorhees in a sack mask—survivors return to a training camp near Crystal Lake while the body-count formula locks in for the hockey-mask era ahead.

    Overview
    Jason becomes the icon here—second on both tabs and the bridge from Mrs. Voorhees to the mask trilogy in Parts 3–4.
    Related games
    Jason saga chapter one. Next on both tabs is Part 3 (1982) for the hockey mask debut.
    Where it fits
    Second on Release and Story. Watch immediately after the 1980 film; do not jump to 2009 reboot until Freddy vs. Jason on Story.
    Premiere dates
    US theatrical release April 30, 1981 (Paramount).
  3. Friday the 13th Part 3

    Friday the 13th Part 3

    TheatricalStreamingJason sagaLive-action

    Steve Miner's 1982 3D entry gives Jason his hockey mask—weekenders at Higgins Haven meet Chris Higgins's trauma and the franchise's most quoted silhouette before Tommy Jarvis arrives in The Final Chapter.

    Overview
    Hockey mask debut and 3D gimmick peak for 1980s slashers—third on both tabs and required before the Tommy Jarvis arc.
    Related games
    Mask origin story on both tabs. Leads into Tommy Jarvis arc in The Final Chapter (1984).
    Where it fits
    Required Jason chapter before The Final Chapter on either tab; Release and Story align here.
    Premiere dates
    US theatrical release August 13, 1982 (Paramount).
  4. Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter

    Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter

    TheatricalStreamingJason sagaLive-action

    Joseph Zito's 1984 marketed finale pits Jason against Tommy Jarvis and a house full of teens—staged as Jason's last stand until A New Beginning retconned the timeline with a five-year story gap.

    Overview
    Tommy Jarvis introduction and a staged Jason death that Part 5 walks back—fourth on both tabs before the copycat era.
    Related games
    Tommy arc opener. Sets up copycat-killer debate in A New Beginning (1985) next on both tabs.
    Where it fits
    Watch before A New Beginning on Story; the ~five-year in-fiction gap opens after this film (see FAQ).
    Premiere dates
    US theatrical release April 13, 1984 (Paramount).
  5. Friday the 13th: A New Beginning

    Friday the 13th: A New Beginning

    TheatricalStreamingJason sagaLive-action

    Danny Steinmann's 1985 entry moves to Pinehurst and a copycat killer mystery—adult Tommy Jarvis returns while fan debate still argues whether Jason is truly dead before Jason Lives resurrects him.

    Overview
    Whodunit slasher pivot ~five in-fiction years after Final Chapter—fifth on both tabs in the copycat era.
    Related games
    Copycat era middle chapter. Jason Lives (1986) restores undead Jason next on both tabs.
    Where it fits
    Required for full twelve-film Jason shelf on Story. Read FAQ on the time jump from 1984 before watching.
    Premiere dates
    US theatrical release March 22, 1985 (Paramount).
  6. Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives

    Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives

    TheatricalStreamingJason sagaLive-action

    Tom McLoughlin's 1986 sequel resurrects Jason as an undead juggernaut—Tommy Jarvis tries to end the curse while the series leans into self-aware horror comedy that defines the back half of the saga.

    Overview
    Supernatural Jason reset many fans treat as the real return after Part 5—sixth on both tabs and tonal pivot to undead rules.
    Related games
    Undead Jason era begins here. Next on both tabs is The New Blood (1988).
    Where it fits
    Watch after A New Beginning on Story; anchors the back half through Freddy vs. Jason before the 2009 reboot split.
    Premiere dates
    US theatrical release August 1, 1986 (Paramount).
  7. Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood

    Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood

    TheatricalStreamingJason sagaLive-action

    John Carl Buechler's 1988 entry gives Jason telekinetic opposition—Tina Shepard's lake trauma unleashes a psychic vs. unstoppable killer showdown with FX-forward creature work.

    Overview
    FX-forward supernatural duel in undead Jason continuity—seventh on both tabs for completionist Jason path.
    Related games
    After Jason Lives, before Jason Takes Manhattan (1989) on both tabs.
    Where it fits
    Optional favorite for creature fans; required if you want every Jason theatrical on Story before FvJ.
    Premiere dates
    US theatrical release May 13, 1988 (Paramount).
  8. Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan

    Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan

    TheatricalStreamingJason sagaLive-action

    Rob Hedden's 1989 sequel promises NYC mayhem—a graduation cruise, Times Square tease, and a divisive climax that kept Jason off screens until the 1990s hell detour and later sci-fi jump.

    Overview
    Location gimmick slasher before the series went dormant—eighth on both tabs and last classic-era lake/cruise setting.
    Related games
    Last classic-era theatrical before Goes to Hell (1993). Next row on both tabs is the New Line handoff.
    Where it fits
    Watch before Jason Goes to Hell on Story; tonal shift toward comic-book Jason and crossover setup ahead.
    Premiere dates
    US theatrical release July 28, 1989 (Paramount).
  9. Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday

    Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday

    TheatricalStreamingJason sagaLive-action

    Adam Marcus's 1993 New Line handoff turns Jason into a body-hopping demon—FBI sting, the Voorhees family, and an Evil Dead nod that fans either love or skip on marathon night.

    Overview
    Hell-bound mythology and Freddy's glove tease in the finale—ninth on both tabs and wild tonal swing before Jason X.
    Related games
    Crossover setup chapter. Next on both tabs is sci-fi Jason X (2002)—not the 2009 reboot yet.
    Where it fits
    Required before Freddy vs. Jason for crossover lore on Story; casual viewers sometimes skip to FvJ anyway.
    Premiere dates
    US theatrical release August 13, 1993 (New Line Cinema).
  10. Jason X

    Jason X

    TheatricalStreamingJason sagaSci-fi

    James Isaac's space slasher cryo-freezes Jason for the 25th century—Uber Jason, virtual Crystal Lake, and cult meta humor that plays better after the classic run on a completionist binge.

    Overview
    Franchise sci-fi detour that embraces absurdity. Tenth on both tabs; often dated 2001 (filmed) with 2002 US wide release.
    Related games
    Sci-fi coda before Freddy vs. Jason on Story. 2009 reboot follows FvJ as separate continuity.
    Where it fits
    Tenth on both tabs; watch before Freddy vs. Jason if you want every Jason theatrical in story order.
    Premiere dates
    US wide theatrical release April 26, 2002 (New Line Cinema).
  11. Freddy vs. Jason

    Freddy vs. Jason

    TheatricalStreamingCrossoverLive-action

    Ronny Yu’s 2003 monster mash pits Robert Englund’s Freddy against Kane Hodder’s Jason—Elm Street meets Crystal Lake in a fan-service brawl that sits on both franchises’ Release and Story tabs.

    Overview
    Monster-mash linking Elm Street and Crystal Lake in a shared New Line event—eleventh on both tabs and required crossover row for Jason Story completionists.
    Related games
    Jason side of crossover—pairs with Nightmare on Elm Street row eight. 2009 reboot follows as hard reset.
    Where it fits
    Watch after Jason’s prior films; pairs with A Nightmare on Elm Street crossover row.
    Premiere dates
    US theatrical release August 15, 2003 (New Line Cinema).
  12. Friday the 13th

    Friday the 13th

    TheatricalStreamingRebootLive-action

    Marcus Nispel's 2009 remake retells Jason's origin with Derek Mears in the mask—Crystal Lake teens, tunnel lair, and a harder continuity break than any prior sequel after the crossover era.

    Overview
    Full re-origin reboot after the classic and crossover eras. Twelfth on Release; separate branch on Story.
    Related games
    Reboot shelf end on both tabs. Planned sequel and TV stayed development limbo—FAQ notes only; not sequel to FvJ.
    Where it fits
    Endpoint on both tabs among released theatricals. Treat as new timeline, not sequel to FvJ.
    Premiere dates
    US theatrical release February 13, 2009 (New Line / Warner Bros.).

FAQ

Release vs Jason Story order, the five-year gap before *A New Beginning*, Freddy vs. Jason crossover placement, and the 2009 reboot branch.

Watch order

For Jason’s theatrical saga, Release and Story align—unlike [Halloween](/halloween) or [Scream](/scream), there is no major alternate branch on Story. The main wrinkle is Jason X’s far-future setting (still placed before Freddy vs. Jason on both tabs) and the five-year gap before A New Beginning.

Jason & continuity

This page’s Story tab lists all twelve Jason theatricals in chronological order—1980 original through 2009 reboot. Pamela Voorhees opens the saga; Jason dominates Parts 2–FvJ; the 2009 film is a separate reboot timeline at the end, not a direct sequel to the crossover.

The Final Chapter (1984) ends with Jason seemingly killed and young Tommy Jarvis traumatized. A New Beginning (1985) jumps to an adult Tommy years later—fans and promotional materials often cite roughly five years between the films even though release dates are only one year apart. Story order keeps both films back-to-back with that in-fiction gap in mind.

What's included

More timelines

Other release-order and story-order guides on this site.