GameTimeline

Watch order

Scream movie watch order

Wes Craven and Spyglass’s Scream theatrical films from Scream (1996) through Scream 7 (2026). Release follows US premiere order. Story matches the same seven-film ladder—no mid-series reorder on this page. TV’s Scream series stays optional. Horror neighbors: Saw and Until Dawn.

Updated August 2026

Release order

When each Scream film opened in US theaters—from Scream (December 20, 1996) through Scream 7 (February 27, 2026). Best first path: watch in premiere order so Sidney’s rules, the requels, and Scream 7 still land as a continuous reveal.

  • First watch → Release: Scream → 2 → 3 → 4 → Scream (2022) → Scream VI → Scream 7
  • Original four only → stop after Scream 4 if you want Craven’s run
  • Requel era → Scream (2022) then VI then 7 after the 1996–2011 four
  • Scream TV (2015–2019) → optional; separate continuity
Story order tips

Film continuity that matches Release: Scream → 2 → 3 → 4 → Scream (2022) → Scream VI → Scream 7. No alternate chronology on this page—Ghostface seasons follow premiere order.

  • 1996–2000 → Scream trilogy (Sidney, Gale, Dewey)
  • 2011 → Scream 4 (Woodsboro return)
  • 2022–2023 → Scream (2022) then Scream VI
  • 2026 → Scream 7 (latest theatrical chapter)

Timeline

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

Release order

  1. Scream

    Scream

    TheatricalStreamingMain sagaLive-action

    Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson’s 1996 meta-slasher invents Ghostface—Neve Campbell’s Sidney Prescott, Courteney Cox’s Gale, David Arquette’s Dewey, and phone-call rules that every sequel still quotes. Correct first watch on both tabs.

    Overview
    Self-aware slasher craft that weaponizes horror fandom without killing the scares. Locks Woodsboro, the mask, and the survivors’ core cast.
    Related games
    Franchise opener. Story and Release agree on first place. Horror neighbors: Saw and Until Dawn.
    Where it fits
    Start here on Release and on Story. Required before Scream 2 either way.
    Premiere dates
    US theatrical release December 20, 1996 (Dimension Films).
  2. Scream 2

    Scream 2

    TheatricalStreamingMain sagaLive-action

    Craven’s 1997 sequel moves Sidney to college as copycats and a Stab movie-within-a-movie escalate—Gale and Dewey return, and the rules of sequels become the joke and the threat.

    Overview
    Campus-and-sequel commentary that deepens Sidney’s trauma without resetting Woodsboro’s survivors. Direct continuation energy.
    Related games
    Second chapter. Story continues into Scream 3.
    Where it fits
    Watch after Scream. Same second place on Story. Required before Scream 3.
    Premiere dates
    US theatrical release December 12, 1997 (Dimension Films).
  3. Scream 3

    Scream 3

    TheatricalStreamingMain sagaLive-action

    Craven’s 2000 Hollywood chapter follows Ghostface onto the Stab 3 set—Sidney in hiding, Gale and Dewey still hunting answers, and a trilogy closer that held until Scream 4 reopened Woodsboro.

    Overview
    Showbiz satire inside the slasher frame: the franchise comments on its own Hollywood machine. Closes the original trilogy block.
    Related games
    Closes the original trilogy. Next is Scream 4 (2011).
    Where it fits
    Third on both tabs. End of the 1996–2000 trilogy before the 2011 return.
    Premiere dates
    US theatrical release February 4, 2000 (Dimension Films).
  4. Scream 4

    Scream 4

    TheatricalStreamingMain sagaLive-action

    Craven’s 2011 return sends Sidney back to Woodsboro for a new generation of killers—Emma Roberts and Hayden Panettiere join Gale and Dewey in a remake-culture satire that bridges the trilogy to the 2020s requels.

    Overview
    Remake-era meta jokes and a new Woodsboro cast while keeping Sidney central. Last Craven-directed chapter.
    Related games
    Bridge into the requel era. Next is Scream (2022).
    Where it fits
    Fourth on both tabs. Watch after the trilogy; required context before Scream (2022).
    Premiere dates
    US theatrical release April 15, 2011 (Dimension Films).
  5. Scream

    Scream

    TheatricalStreamingMain sagaRequel

    Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett’s 2022 requel returns Ghostface to Woodsboro with a new core cast—Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jack Quaid—while Sidney, Gale, and Dewey anchor legacy continuity. Often called Scream 5 in conversation.

    Overview
    Requel structure that welcomes newcomers and legacy fans in one Woodsboro night. Restarts theatrical momentum after a decade.
    Related games
    Opens the 2020s block. Next is Scream VI.
    Where it fits
    Fifth on both tabs. Watch after Scream 4; title on-screen is simply Scream (2022).
    Premiere dates
    US theatrical release January 14, 2022 (Paramount).
  6. Scream VI

    Scream VI

    TheatricalStreamingMain sagaLive-action

    The 2023 sixth film moves the survivors to New York—apartment dread, subway panic, and Gale still in the fight while Sidney sits this chapter out. Direct continuation of the 2022 requel’s new core.

    Overview
    Big-city Ghostface without abandoning requel continuity. Proves the new cast can carry a sequel without a full Woodsboro reset.
    Related games
    Second requel-era chapter. Next is Scream 7.
    Where it fits
    Sixth on both tabs. Watch after Scream (2022); required before Scream 7.
    Premiere dates
    US theatrical release March 10, 2023 (Paramount).
  7. Scream 7

    Scream 7

    TheatricalStreamingMain sagaLive-action

    Kevin Williamson’s 2026 seventh film returns Neve Campbell’s Sidney to the theatrical center after VI—US release February 27, 2026. Last title on both tabs among released films as of August 2026.

    Overview
    Legacy-lead return after the New York chapter, directed by series creator Williamson. Closes the released seven-film ladder on this page.
    Related games
    Current end of the film saga on this page. Future numbered sequels stay optional until they open.
    Where it fits
    Last on both tabs. Watch after Scream VI for continuous 2020s continuity into Sidney’s return.
    Premiere dates
    US theatrical release February 27, 2026 (Paramount).

FAQ

Release vs Story (same path), where Scream 5–7 sit, the TV series, and related horror shelves.

Watch order

For these seven films, Release and Story are the same ladder. Ghostface seasons follow premiere order—there is no Temple-of-Doom-style reshuffle. The MTV/VH1 TV series is a separate optional path.

Requels & sequels

On-screen and officially it is titled Scream (2022). Fans and guides often say Scream 5 to tell it apart from the 1996 original. This page lists it as Scream with a 2022 date—fifth theatrical chapter either way.

Scream 7 opened in US theaters on February 27, 2026. It is last on both tabs—after Scream VI. Watch the 2022–2023 pair first if you want the new-core cast’s arc intact before Sidney’s return.

What’s included

More timelines

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