Scream Movies in Order
One phone call, one mask and three decades of victims who know the rules.
Scream arrived in 1996 with Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson's slasher about horror fans hunted by a killer who knows the genre as well as they do. The first four films follow Sidney Prescott, Gale Weathers and Dewey Riley, and the 2022 relaunch passes the story to sisters Sam and Tara Carpenter before Sidney steps back into the lead.
There is no separate story order to sort out: every film takes place after the one before it, so release order is also the timeline. Scream (2022) is a direct sequel rather than a remake, even though it reuses the original's title.
The quick answer
There are 7 Scream films, and release order is also story order: Scream (1996), Scream 2, Scream 3, Scream 4, Scream (2022), Scream VI and Scream 7.
First time watching? Start at the top and work down. The labels on each film flag remakes, side stories and fresh starts.
The complete timeline
Scream (1996)
A killer with a taste for horror trivia phones Sidney and her friends in Woodsboro, then comes to the door.
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Scream 2
Two years on, Sidney's college campus in Ohio becomes the next target after a screening of Stab, the movie made from her story.
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Scream 3
Ghostface works through the cast of Stab 3 in Los Angeles, and Sidney has to leave her hideaway to face the killer.
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Scream 4
Fifteen years after the first murders, a book tour brings Sidney home, and her young cousin's friends start dying.
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Scream (2022)
An attack on Tara Carpenter pulls her estranged sister Sam back to Woodsboro, a quarter century after the original killings.
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Scream VI
The Carpenter sisters try to start over at college in Manhattan, and the mask turns up in the city too.
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Scream 7
Sidney has a family and a new home in Indiana, until Ghostface comes after her daughter.
Read entryScream: The TV Series
The show isn't counted in the seven films above. It has its own characters and killers, so you can watch it at any point without missing anything from the movies.
Scream: The TV Series
A viral video sets off a string of murders in the town of Lakewood, and a third season starts fresh with a new cast and the familiar mask.
Not rated yet · View TMDBTwo generations, one timeline
The first four films follow Sidney from Woodsboro to college, to Hollywood and back home again. Scream (2022) jumps ahead 25 years and makes Sam and Tara Carpenter the new leads, with Sidney, Gale and Dewey in support. Scream VI moves the Carpenter sisters to New York, and Scream 7 puts Sidney back at the center. The Scream TV series tells its own story with different characters, so it sits in an optional lane.
Frequently Asked Questions About Scream
How many Scream movies are there?
There are seven: Scream (1996), Scream 2 (1997), Scream 3 (2000), Scream 4 (2011), Scream (2022), Scream VI (2023) and Scream 7 (2026). Scream: The TV Series ran for three seasons between 2015 and 2019 and tells a separate story.
What order should I watch the Scream movies in?
Release order. Each film is set after the previous one, so the release dates and the story line up: Scream, Scream 2, Scream 3, Scream 4, Scream (2022), Scream VI, then Scream 7.
Is Scream (2022) a remake of the original?
No. Despite the matching title, it is a sequel set 25 years after the 1996 film. It introduces Sam and Tara Carpenter and brings back Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and David Arquette, and the film even jokes about this kind of sequel-reboot hybrid, calling it a "requel."
Is Sidney Prescott in every Scream movie?
All but one. Neve Campbell plays Sidney in the first five films, sits out Scream VI and returns as the lead in Scream 7.
Do I need to watch the Scream TV series?
No. Scream: The TV Series follows new characters in the town of Lakewood and never crosses paths with Sidney's story. Its third season, Scream: Resurrection, started over with another new cast and brought back the classic Ghostface mask.
Is there going to be a Scream 8?
It is in development. In March 2026, Lilla and Nora Zuckerman were announced as the writers of Scream 8 for Paramount and Spyglass. No release date or cast has been announced.