Viewing order · A Nightmare on Elm Street
The Nightmare on Elm Street movies in order
Nine films, one glove and the franchise that built New Line Cinema. Box office and story order per Wikipedia.
By the Horror Planet editors · Updated November 9, 2026
Release order
| Year | Film | Director | Worldwide |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | A Nightmare on Elm Street | Wes Craven | $57.2M |
| 1985 | A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge | Jack Sholder | $30.0M |
| 1987 | A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors | Chuck Russell | $44.8M |
| 1988 | A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master | Renny Harlin | $49.4M |
| 1989 | A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child | Stephen Hopkins | $22.2M |
| 1991 | Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare | Rachel Talalay | $34.9M |
| 1994 | Wes Craven's New Nightmare | Wes Craven | $19.7M |
| 2003 | Freddy vs. Jason | Ronny Yu | $116.6M |
| 2010 | A Nightmare on Elm Street | Samuel Bayer | $115.7M |
How the timeline fits together
- The first six films are one story. Dream Warriors brings Nancy back to help the last Elm Street children, The Dream Master hands the fight to Alice, and Freddy's Dead is set two years after The Dream Child (Wikipedia).
- Wes Craven's New Nightmare stands apart. Craven, Heather Langenkamp and Robert Englund play themselves, and Freddy is an evil trapped in the films trying to get out (Wikipedia).
- Freddy vs. Jason is a crossover with Friday the 13th, with an ending that never says who won (Wikipedia).
- The 2010 film is a remake of the original. It follows Nancy Holbrook and her friends (Wikipedia).
How we'd watch them
Start with the 1984 original and Dream Warriors, the best of the sequels. Then go straight to New Nightmare, which is Craven's own commentary on the series and a rehearsal for Scream two years later. The rest are for completists.
What's next for Freddy
The rights reverted to Wes Craven's estate in 2019. In July 2026 Paramount bought the U.S. rights to the original screenplay for a reboot, while Warner Bros. developed a rival film reported with Lee Cronin directing. After Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery merged on October 6, 2026, one company holds the worldwide rights, and the project furthest along is expected to go ahead. There is no release date yet (Wikipedia).