Scream is one of the best horror slasher franchises that has stayed with us since 1996. We don’t get a Scream movie every year, but still, the violent tale has managed to stay relevant and popular by giving us new movies every now and then. And now, the franchise is set to return in 2026 with a brand-new movie. However, if you’re new to the franchise, it’s best to watch the previous movies in the correct order while you wait for the new one. So, here is the correct order to watch the Scream movies.
How Many Scream Movies Are There in Total?
There are a total of 6 Scream movies and the seventh installment will release in 2026. The first Scream movie was released in 1996 and even after two decades, the franchise has attracted slasher movie fans.
Scream Movies In Order of Release Date
So far, the Scream franchise has given us six amazing movies, with the seventh one coming out next year. If you wish to watch the story in order of release, you have to start with the 1996 movie and finally land on Scream VI, which was released in 2026. Anyway, the list below will help you track down every Scream movie in release order.
- Scream (1996)
- Scream 2 (1997)
- Scream 3 (2000)
- Scream 4 (2011)
- Scream (2022)
- Scream 6 (2023)
- Scream 7 (2026)
1. Scream (1996)
- Release Date: December 20, 1996
- Director: Wes Craven
- Cast: David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Matthew Lillard, Rose McGowan, Skeet Ulrich, Drew Barrymore
This is the movie that started it all: the mask, a psychopathic killer, a knife, and lots of blood. This is the first time we get introduced to Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), a teenage girl living in the small town of Woodsboro, California. Everything in Sidney’s life changes when she gets a threatening call from Ghostface, who, of course, wants to kill her.
Sidney takes help from the authorities and some friends, including Randy Meeks (Jamie Kennedy), Dewey Riley (David Arquette), and Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox). However, she finds it hard to trust anyone, since the killer could be anyone. This starts the haunting journey of countless murders, obsession, and the mystery behind Ghostface’s real identity.
2. Scream 2 (1997)
- Release Date: December 12, 1997
- Director: Wes Craven
- Cast: David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jamie Kennedy, Laurie Metcalf, Jerry O’Connell, Jada Pinkett, Liev Schreiber
The second movie within the Scream franchise takes us two years forward in time, but it focuses mostly on the same set of characters. That includes Sidney, who wants to leave the town after being unable to move on from the events of the first movie. However, things get difficult for her when another killer, taking on the persona of Ghostface, wants to kill her.
Of course, we get introduced to some new characters in the sequel, but the movie mainly expands on the world of the first movie. We get to learn that this obsession with killing is related to the “Stab” movie franchise. Not only does Scream 2 focus on the survivors of the original film, but it also brings back the killer from the previous film, in a sense.
3. Scream 3 (2000)
- Release Date: February 4, 2000
- Director: Wes Craven
- Cast: David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Patrick Dempsey, Scott Foley, Lance Henriksen, Matt Keeslar, Jenny McCarthy, Emily Mortimer, Parker Posey, Deon Richmond, Patrick Warburton
The third part of the Scream franchise is set three years after the events of the second movie. It features yet another killer taking on the mask of Ghostface, and yes, this killer is also after Sidney, the main target of the original killer from the first movie.
Scream 3 continues the universe of Stab within the movie and elaborates more on the obsession over the film. Unlike the second movie, Scream 3 does a better job of connecting with the first film. Without revealing too much, let’s just say that the killer in the third film was sort of overshadowed in the original film. The ultimate twist is not the best part of Scream 3, but it does a decent job at keeping the universe of Scream connected through Sidney.
4. Scream 4 (2011)
- Release Date: April 15, 2011
- Director: Wes Craven
- Cast: David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Emma Roberts, Hayden Panettiere, Anthony Anderson, Alison Brie, Adam Brody, Rory Culkin, Marielle Jaffe, Erik Knudsen, Mary McDonnell, Marley Shelton, Nico Tortorella
Scream 4 marked the return of the Scream franchise after eleven years, and yes, the franchise made a good return with an incredible story. Sidney has grown up a lot in Scream 4, and her town has changed a lot as well. But one thing hasn’t changed at all, and that’s the threat of Ghostface.
Sidney returns to town after several years, and before she can leave, a mysterious person takes on the identity of Ghostface. As usual, Sidney must survive and uncover the identity of this killer while also confronting her traumatizing past yet once again.
5. Scream (2022)
- Release Date: January 14, 2022
- Director: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
- Cast: Melissa Barrera, Mason Gooding, Jenna Ortega, Jack Quaid, Marley Shelton, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Neve Campbell
2022’s Scream was set after the fourth movie, and the events in the fifth movie take place 25 years after the original film. However, this film essentially served as a reboot of the franchise, and that’s precisely why the creators decided to use the original title instead of adding a number.
Regardless, the reboot film brings in mostly every character from the original film, including Sidney and Gale. At the same time, the film introduces us to a bunch of fresh faces, and that includes Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega) and Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera). While these characters are new, the best thing about the story is that they are still somehow connected to the characters of the original film. For instance, Sam turns out to be the daughter of Billy Loomis, the killer from the original film.
6. Scream VI (2023)
- Release Date: March 10, 2023
- Director: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
- Cast: Melissa Barrera, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Jack Champion, Henry Czerny, Mason Gooding, Liana Liberato, Dermot Mulroney, Devyn Nekoda, Jenna Ortega, Tony Revolori, Josh Segarra, Samara Weaving, Hayden Panettiere, Courteney Cox
Scream VI is unique for one main reason: unlike previous films, this one takes place outside of Woodsboro. Basically, in Scream 6, the threat of Ghostface follows beloved characters in New York. Yes, it’s some aficionados of the “Stab” franchise who are obsessed with the killings of Ghostface, and they wish to kill Sam and her friends.
The sixth movie within the franchise doesn’t feature Sidney, but it connects well with the rest of the franchise. For instance, the film reignites the mystery of the killings of the first movie, and the writers do that by bringing back the name of Stu Macher. For the uninitiated, Stu was part of the killings in the original film, and the mystery behind this character not only makes the movie great, but it also expands on the events of the original film.
Scream Movies In Chronological Order
While some fans prefer to watch the movies in the order of their release, others may wish to experience the story in a linear and chronological order. In that case, we should tell you that events in the Scream franchise take place in a linear pattern. There’s no difference between the release and the chronological order of the film. It further means that the upcoming movie, Scream 7, will be set after the events of the sixth movie. Regardless, to make things easier, here’s the correct Chronological order of the Scream movies:
- Scream (1996)
- Scream 2 (1997)
- Scream 3 (2000)
- Scream 4 (2011)
- Scream (2022)
- Scream 6 (2023)
- Scream 7 (2026)
So, that’s how you catch up to the Scream movies in the correct order. The franchise doesn’t complicate things with the timeline, so you won’t be confused if you watch the films in order of release. However, each Scream film is connected with the rest, so you can’t skip any movie; you have to watch them all to understand the seventh movie that will hit theatres next year.
