How to watch in chronological order

(Pocket-lint) – Autumn is the perfect time to kick back and watch movies about vampires and werewolves.

The Twilight Saga offers both and is actually one of the most successful franchises in history. Based on four best-selling novels by Stephenie Meyer, it consists of five films that grossed $3.4 billion worldwide at the box office and became a cultural touchstone for the 2010s.

Like the novels, the films follow 17-year-old Bella Swan as she moves to Washington State, where she meets the mysterious Edward Cullen. While the actors starring as Bella and Edward were relatively unknown a decade ago, the casting department clearly made some standout decisions. Kristina Stewart (Bella) has now received her first Oscar nomination with 2021’s Spencer, and Robert Pattinson (Edward) recently starred as the Caped Crusader in The Batman.

If you’re interested in finally watching The Twilight Saga, or maybe just want to re-watch the films ahead of Halloween, here’s the order to watch them all. It goes by the theatrical release date, because that’s how the story unfolds – in chronological order. Allow yourself to be explained.

How to watch the Twilight movies in order (chronologically and release date)

BELOW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS. Skip to the bottom of this guide for the bulleted, spoiler-free version at a glance.

Twilight (2008)

• Directed by: Catherine Hardwicke
• Related to: Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
• Screenplay by: Melissa Rosenberg
• Produced and distributed by: summit entertainment
• Duration: 121 minutes
• Box office: $407 million
• Stream Where: Amazon Prime Video

The first Twilight film introduces us to Kristen Stewart’s Bella Swan, who moved to Washington from Arizona to live with her father. She notices the Cullens when she starts high school. They are a group of siblings who mostly keep to themselves. Of course, she ends up sitting next to Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) in biology class, sparking a strange relationship between the two – until Edward saves Bella from being hit by a car with supernatural powers.

As the two meet, Bella realizes that Edward is a vampire. Unfortunately, another group of vampires – led by a tracker named James (Cam Gigandet) – arrive and decide to hunt Bella down, resulting in Edward and his siblings protecting Bella.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)

• Directed by: Chris Wietz
• Related to: New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
• Screenplay by: Melissa Rosenberg
• Produced by: Temple Mount Entertainment
• Distributed by: summit entertainment
• Duration: 130 minutes (Extended Cut 138 minutes)
• Box office: $709 million
• Stream Where: Amazon Prime Video

New Moon picks up Bella in her senior year of high school and continues her relationship with Edward. While celebrating her birthday with the Cullens, Bella gets a paper cut that causes Edward’s brother Jasper (Jackson Rathbone) to instinctively attack her. Although Jasper was stopped before he hurt Bella, Edward believes she can never be safe around him and his family. He ends their relationship and moves away with the rest of his family.

Bella then spends more time with Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner) – until she finds out that he and other members of his Native American Quileute tribe are werewolves.

She begins chasing the thrill of life-threatening moments just to feel close to Edward. This accidentally leads Edward to believe that Bella died while jumping off a cliff. His sister Alice (Alice Green) even has a vision of it. The guilt causes Edward to appear before the vampire kingdom known as the Volturi in hopes of ending his own life.

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)

• Directed by: David Slade
• Related to: Solar Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
• Screenplay by: Melissa Rosenberg
• Produced by: Temple Mount Entertainment
• Distributed by: summit entertainment
• Duration: 123 minutes
• Box office: $698 million
• Stream Where: Amazon Prime Video

After the Volturi’s decision at the end of New Moon, Eclipse focuses on Bella and Edward trying to decide when to turn her into a vampire. The two disagree on that.

Meanwhile, Victoria (Rachelle LaFevre) – who was a member of the vampire group that originally hunted Bella – seeks revenge. She is building an army of vampires to attack the town of Forks where Bella lives. The Cullens then find common cause with the pack of Quileute werewolves to fight off the vampires.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part One (2011)

• Directed by: Bill Condon
• Related to: Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
• Screenplay by: Melissa Rosenberg
• Produced by: Temple Mount Entertainment
• Distributed by: summit entertainment
• Duration: 117 minutes
• Box office: $712 million
• Stream Where: Amazon Prime Video

Breaking Dawn – Part One begins with Edward and Bella’s wedding. The happy couple embark on their honeymoon on the Isle of Esme – where they consummate their marriage and make love for the first time. Soon after, Bella discovers that she is pregnant.

Edward and his father Carlisle (Peter Facinelli) believe that Bella cannot give birth to a vampire baby. They recommend her call it off, but Bella refuses. Meanwhile, members of Jacob’s pack of werewolves believe that Bella and the baby must die before it can be born. Of course, there’s also the problem of the Volturi still expecting the Cullens to transform Bella.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part Two (2012)

Breaking Dawn – Part Two picks up where the last film left off – with Bella adjusting to being a new mother and a vampire at the same time. Their daughter Renesmee (Mackenzie Foy) is a half-vampire who ages faster. But she is seen by a vampire from another coven with Edward’s father in the forest, and the Volturi learn that the Cullens have a so-called immortal child – aka a vampire who has grown too young and will never age.

This is a no go for the Volturi. Their leader, Avo, heads to Forks to kill the Cullens. However, Alice Cullen has a vision of the Volturi, giving the Cullens time to prepare for the attack.

Spoiler-free version: The Twilight Saga movies in order

Chronological order and publication date

OK, so here is the short version of the guide above. It is spoiler free.

• Twilight (2008)
• The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)
• The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)
• The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part One (2011)
• The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part Two (2012)

Do you want that?

Then you might like our instructions for ordering films:

We also have these rumor rounds up on upcoming movies:

Written by Maggie Tillman.