Movies in Order is an independent reference for franchise watch orders. Every list is built from a transparent, repeatable process — here is exactly how we do it.
Film metadata — titles, release dates, runtimes, ratings, cast, and collection groupings — is sourced from The Movie Database (TMDB), a community-maintained, openly licensed film catalog. We map each franchise to its TMDB collection so titles and dates stay aligned with an authoritative source rather than guesswork. Movies in Order is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.
Every franchise gets a release order — films in the sequence audiences originally saw them, by theatrical release date. This is the default and the safest first watch for most series. Where a franchise's in-universe timeline differs from its release sequence — prequels, flashbacks, side stories — we additionally build a chronological order that follows the story as it unfolds in-world. When the two orders are identical, we say so rather than inventing a distinction.
Some franchises don't fit cleanly into a single line — a film that is set between two earlier entries, a series retconned to slot later, or TV shows that bridge gaps between movies. We flag these cases explicitly and annotate why an entry sits where it does (for example, a film released later but set earlier, or a show that runs concurrently with a movie). The goal is that a first-time viewer is never spoiled by a placement they don't understand.
For most franchises, film metadata — new entries, runtime corrections, and rating changes — is pulled from TMDB and the watch order is generated automatically, so pages stay current as TMDB updates. Our hand-curated franchise guides are maintained separately: placement, chronological ordering, and annotations are reviewed and edited by us, and refreshed when a new entry is announced or released.
Spotted an error or a missing film? Our data is only as good as the feedback we get. Explore the franchise statistics or browse all movies to see the catalog these orders are built from.