Paranormal Activity Movies in Order
Two sisters, one patient demon and years of night-vision footage, from 1988 to 2021.
Paranormal Activity turned a couple's bedroom camcorder into a phenomenon in 2007 and grew into seven films. Six follow sisters Katie and Kristi and the demon that has stalked their family since childhood, and Next of Kin starts over with a new story in 2021.
Release order is how most people meet the series, since the prequels answer questions the first film leaves open. Chronological order begins with the sisters as children in 1988 and runs through the 2013 finale.
The quick answer
There are 7 Paranormal Activity films. By story year they run 3, 2, the 2007 original, 4, The Marked Ones and The Ghost Dimension, with Next of Kin as a separate 2021 restart.
Chronological order
- Paranormal Activity 3 · Katie and Kristi as children
- Paranormal Activity 2 · Starts weeks before the original
- Paranormal Activity · October 2006 in San Diego
- Paranormal Activity 4 · Five years after Katie disappears
- Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones · Oxnard, California
- Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension · The sisters' storyline ends
- Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin · A new story in Amish country
First time watching? Either order works. Release order shows the films the way audiences first met them, surprises intact; chronological order follows the story’s own timeline and suits a rewatch.
The complete timeline
Paranormal Activity
A young couple sets up a camcorder in their San Diego bedroom to catch whatever is disturbing their nights.
Read entry
Paranormal Activity 2
Katie's sister Kristi and her family install home security cameras after a break-in, and something takes an interest in their baby son.
Read entry
Paranormal Activity 3
A stepfather's videotapes from 1988 capture what happened in the house where Katie and Kristi grew up.
Read entry
Paranormal Activity 4
A Nevada teenager turns laptop webcams on the strange boy staying with her family.
Read entry
Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones
A recent graduate looks into his neighbor's death in Oxnard and finds a strange mark on his own arm.
Read entry
Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension
A family finds old tapes and a camera that can see what has been circling their daughter.
Read entry
Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin
A documentary maker visits the secluded Amish relatives she never knew, cameras rolling.
Read entryTokyo Night: the Japanese follow-up
This Japanese film was made separately from the American series and is not counted in the seven films above. It works best as a curiosity after the original.
Paranormal Activity 2: Tokyo Night
Koichi starts recording at home in Tokyo while caring for his sister after her trip to the United States, and the cameras catch something sharing the house.
Not rated yet · View TMDBParanormal Activity 2 starts before the original
Paranormal Activity 2 opens weeks before Katie and Micah start filming and runs alongside the first film, so its later scenes happen after it. Paranormal Activity 3 jumps back to 1988 to show the sisters as children. The Marked Ones is a spin-off with its own characters that still ties into the main mythology, and The Ghost Dimension closes the sisters' storyline. Next of Kin is a stand-alone restart with no ties to the earlier characters.
Frequently Asked Questions About Paranormal Activity
How many Paranormal Activity movies are there?
There are seven: Paranormal Activity (2007), Paranormal Activity 2 (2010), Paranormal Activity 3 (2011), Paranormal Activity 4 (2012), Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (2014), Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension (2015) and Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin (2021). A Japanese follow-up, Paranormal Activity 2: Tokyo Night (2010), sits outside the main series, and an eighth film is due in 2027.
What order should I watch the Paranormal Activity movies in?
Release order is the easiest first watch: the original, 2, 3, 4, The Marked Ones, The Ghost Dimension, then Next of Kin. For story order, start with Paranormal Activity 3 (set in 1988), then 2, the original, 4, The Marked Ones and The Ghost Dimension. Next of Kin works at any point because it begins a new story.
Is Paranormal Activity 2 a prequel or a sequel?
Both, in a way. It begins in August 2006, weeks before the original film's footage, follows Katie's sister Kristi and her family, and continues past the events of the first film.
Do I need to watch the other films before Next of Kin?
No. Next of Kin follows new characters in a remote Amish community and doesn't depend on Katie and Kristi's story, so it works as a stand-alone watch.
Is The Marked Ones part of the main story?
It's a spin-off with its own characters in Oxnard, California, but it ties into the main mythology, so it fits fifth in either order, before The Ghost Dimension.
Is there a new Paranormal Activity movie coming?
Yes. An untitled Paranormal Activity film from Paramount and Blumhouse-Atomic Monster is set for May 21, 2027, directed by Ian Tuason, with original director Oren Peli producing alongside Jason Blum and James Wan. Plot details have not been announced.