How to Watch the ‘Scream’ Movies in Order

And the TV series, too

Courteney Cox (“Gale Weathers”) stars in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group's "Scream VI."

Spanning six live-action films, a television series, and even a franchise within a franchise, the “Scream” films have been scaring audiences since 1996.

The franchise was created by Kevin Williamson, who wrote “Scream,” “Scream 2” and “Scream 4.” The first four films were directed by legendary horror master Wes Craven.

Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin took over directing duties on the latest two films (Craven died in 2015) while Guy Busick and James Vanderbilt replaced Williamson as screenwriters. Williamson remains an executive producer.

The original “Scream” was credited with reinvigorating the slasher film and the career of Drew Barrymore, who provides the memorable first death. Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and David Arquette have figured prominently throughout the franchise, though Campbell exited “Scream 6” over a salary dispute. The antagonist in all the films is a mask-wearing murderer named Ghostface. Though Ghostface has been revealed to be different people with different motivations, they all share a proclivity towards sharp, stabby knives.

In “Scream VI,” opening Friday, Cox reprises her role as reporter-turned-author Gale Weathers. Rounding out the cast is Melissa Barrera, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Jenna Ortega, Hayden Panettiere, Jack Champion, Henry Czerny, Liana Liberato, Dermot Mulroney, Devyn Nekoda, Tony Revolori, Josh Segarra, and Samara Weaving. We don’t want to spoil too much here about their roles as some are carryovers from previous films. You can learn more about them in our character guide if you like.

If you’re new to the franchise, hello!

If you’re looking for nostalgia, Hello Sydney!

Here’s how to watch all the Scream movies in order.

Scream Movies in Chronological Order

The original “Scream” came out in 1996, followed by “Scream 2” one year later. But subsequent films are not titled numerically, as you’ll see.

  • “Scream” (1996)
  • “Scream 2” (1997)
  • “Scream 3” (2000)
  • “Scream 4” (2011) – also marketed as Scre4m
  • “Scream” (2022)
  • “Scream VI” (2023)

That’s right, the fifth “Scream” is also titled “Scream.” It was billed as a reboot, but is a direct sequel to “Scream 4,” and in truth the title “Scream” is a further play on the film’s meta-textual nature (right up through that ending). Note “Scream VI” is the first film to formally use roman numerals in its title.

Scream Movies in Release Order

Fortunately, unlike some other horror franchises that jump around past and present (we’re looking at you, Texas Chainsaw Massacre), the Scream films were released in chronological order.

  • “Scream” (1996)
  • “Scream 2” (1997)
  • “Scream 3” (2000)
  • “Scream 4” (2011)
  • “Scream” (2022)
  • “Scream VI” (2023)

Where Can I Watch the “Scream” Movies? Are They Streaming?

Scream 2
Dimension

“Scream VI” can only be seen in theaters, currently. So check your local listings.

All the previous “Scream” movies — “Scream,” “Scream 2,” “Scream 3,” “Scream 4” and “Scream” (2022) are available to stream on Paramount+.

What’s This About a “Scream” TV Series?

A “Scream” series (also known as “Scream: The TV Series”) initially aired in 2015 on MTV. Set in the fictional town of Lakewood, the small-screen version had little connection to its big-screen counterpart, other than the killer was named Ghostface. It was basically a total reboot/remake. The series ran on MTV for two seasons.

It was rebooted for a third season with an all-new setting and cast, and ran on VH1 as “Scream: Resurrection.”

It’s not to be confused with the Ryan Murphy series, “Scream Queens.”

“Scream: The TV Series” is available to stream on Netflix.

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