Film · in order
Paranormal Activity Movies in Order
All 7 main Paranormal Activity films break into a six-movie Toby saga plus the standalone Next of Kin, with a Japan-only spin-off and a documentary on the side. Watch in release order to keep the twists intact; the chronological order starts with PA3's 1988 prequel and works best as a rewatch.
Paranormal Activity Movies in Order: complete list
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Why this order?
Paranormal Activity is the franchise the phrase chronological order was made for, yet release order is still the way to watch it first. The series is built as a mystery box: Paranormal Activity 3 is a prequel whose answers are meant to land as reveals, Paranormal Activity 2 hides a parallel-timeline twist, and Paranormal Activity 4 runs on a misdirection about which child matters. Watching chronologically first actively defuses three films, so save that order for a rewatch.
The main continuity is the Toby saga, one unbroken story about sisters Katie and Kristi, baby Hunter, and the demon Toby. It covers the first film (a 2007 Screamfest premiere that went wide in 2009 with a re-shot ending), Paranormal Activity 2, 3, and 4, The Marked Ones, and The Ghost Dimension. Paranormal Activity 2 is not a straight sequel: it begins around August 2006, roughly two months before the first film, overlaps its events, and its final act happens after the first film ends. Paranormal Activity 3 then jumps back to September 1988, when young Katie and Kristi first meet Toby and the Midwives coven enters the picture.
Paranormal Activity 4 picks the present-day story back up in November 2011, five years after the second film's ending. The Marked Ones, a side story set in June 2012, looks standalone until its ending opens a time portal back to the October 2006 night of the first film's climax, seeding the time-travel mechanics The Ghost Dimension pays off in December 2013, with recovered tapes dated 1988 and 1992 and a Toby who finally takes physical form.
Next of Kin is a standalone soft reboot about the demon Asmodeus with no saga prerequisites, watchable at any point. Tokyo Night is a non-canon Japan-only branch for completists, and the Unknown Dimension documentary should come last because it spoils everything. Release and story order diverge at four separate points, and a flat list cannot fully express how the first two films interlock, which is why the release path below stays the default. Streaming rotates monthly, but as of mid 2026 a single Paramount+ subscription covers the whole franchise.
Timeline 2007-2027
Every entry by release year: rows that share a year are a cluster, and the long droughts are called out on the rail.
- 2007 Paranormal Activity
- 2010 22: Tokyo Night
- 2011 3
- 2012 4
- 2014 The Marked Ones
- 2015 The Ghost Dimension
- 6-year gap
- 2021 Next of KinUnknown Dimension: The Story of Paranormal Actiโฆ
- 6-year gap
- 2027 Untitled Paranormal Activity Film
Where to play it today
- Paramount+
- Amazon Prime Video
- Apple TV
- Fandango at Home
- Kanopy
- Hoopla
Availability changes often and varies by region - links search each platform for Paranormal Activity.
Frequently asked questions
How many Paranormal Activity movies are there?
There are seven main Paranormal Activity films released between 2007 and 2021: six that form the Toby saga, plus the standalone Next of Kin. A Japan-only spin-off, Paranormal Activity 2: Tokyo Night, and the 2021 documentary Unknown Dimension sit outside the main run, and an untitled eighth film is scheduled for May 21, 2027.
What order should I watch the Paranormal Activity movies in?
Release order: Paranormal Activity (2007), PA2 (2010), PA3 (2011), PA4 (2012), The Marked Ones (2014), The Ghost Dimension (2015), Next of Kin (2021). It keeps every reveal intact. The chronological order, best saved for a rewatch, runs PA3, PA2, PA1, PA4, The Marked Ones, The Ghost Dimension, Next of Kin.
Is The Marked Ones Paranormal Activity 5?
No. No film called Paranormal Activity 5 exists. The Marked Ones is a side story set in June 2012 whose ending loops back in time to the 2006 night of the first film's climax, setting up the time-travel payoff in The Ghost Dimension.
Is a new Paranormal Activity movie coming out?
Yes. An untitled eighth film is set for May 21, 2027, directed by Ian Tuason and produced by James Wan and Jason Blum through Blumhouse-Atomic Monster, with series creator Oren Peli also producing and Chase Yi, Sonia Mena, and Maya Da Costa in the cast. The rumored title Paranormal Activity: The Other Side was never confirmed and does not refer to a real project.
Do I need to watch the other movies before Next of Kin?
No. Next of Kin is a standalone soft reboot with a different demon, Asmodeus, and no ties to the Toby saga beyond the branding. You can watch it at any point, even first.
What is Paranormal Activity 2: Tokyo Night?
A Japan-only spin-off from 2010 that claims to continue the first film, with Katie's curse crossing to Tokyo. It is not canon, has never had a US streaming or digital release, and is safe to skip unless you are a completist with access to the Japanese import disc.
Is there a Paranormal Activity video game or TV series?
There is no TV series. The game Paranormal Activity: Threshold, announced in February 2024 under the title Paranormal Activity: Found Footage, was cancelled on May 7, 2026, so no game is on the way. Two older games, Sanctuary (2011 mobile, now defunct) and The Lost Soul (2017 VR), are non-canon side material. A live stage play premiered at Leeds Playhouse in July 2024; its first West End run closed in April 2026 and a return engagement is booked for August to November 2026.
Last verified · Sources: en.wikipedia.org, hollywoodreporter.com, deadline.com, variety.com, gematsu.com, justwatch.com
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