Looking for the correct Addams Family movies in order? Good news: this is one of the rare franchises where release order and viewing order are basically the same thing. Unlike sprawling shared-universe franchises, the Addams Family films aren’t one continuous timeline — they’re really three separate “eras” (1990s live-action, a 1998 TV pilot, and the 2010s animated reboot) that each stand alone, so you’re never missing continuity by watching them chronologically.
Created from Charles Addams’ single-panel New Yorker cartoons, the family has spawned a 1964 sitcom, five feature films, and now Netflix’s smash-hit Wednesday — the 1991 film alone grossed over $190 million and is considered a horror-comedy classic. Here’s your full breakdown, starting with the quick-reference table.
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Quick Answer: The Addams Family Movies in Order
| # | Film | Year | Director | Story Universe |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Addams Family | 1991 | Barry Sonnenfeld | Live-action (Era 1) |
| 2 | Addams Family Values | 1993 | Barry Sonnenfeld | Live-action (Era 1) |
| 3 | Addams Family Reunion | 1998 | Dave Payne | TV pilot (Era 2, standalone) |
| 4 | The Addams Family | 2019 | Conrad Vernon, Greg Tiernan | Animated (Era 3) |
| 5 | The Addams Family 2 | 2021 | Conrad Vernon, Greg Tiernan, Laura Brousseau, Kevin Pavlovic | Animated (Era 3) |
Callout: Release order works perfectly here — just know that Reunion (1998) uses an almost entirely different cast and isn’t required viewing.
The Addams Family Movies in Order: The Complete Watch Guide
1. The Addams Family (1991)
When a con artist and his shady lawyer partner discover Uncle Fester has been missing for 25 years, they send in an impostor to claim the family fortune — except the “fake” Fester starts falling for his new spooky relatives. It’s a tight, gothic-flavored comedy anchored by Anjelica Huston and Raul Julia, whose chemistry as Morticia and Gomez became the template for every version since. Behind the scenes, director Barry Sonnenfeld (a former cinematographer for the Coen brothers) made his directorial debut here. It set up enough goodwill — and box office — to guarantee a sequel two years later.
2. Addams Family Values (1993)
The family welcomes baby Pubert, while Fester falls hard for Debbie Jellinsky, a nanny who’s secretly a serial “black widow” targeting rich husbands. Meanwhile, Wednesday and Pugsley get shipped off to a relentlessly cheerful summer camp, leading to the franchise’s most quotable stretch of dialogue courtesy of screenwriter Paul Rudnick. Many fans consider this the funniest entry, thanks largely to Joan Cusack’s unhinged performance. It closed out the Sonnenfeld/Huston/Julia era on a high note before the franchise went quiet for years.
3. Addams Family Reunion (1998)
Made for television rather than theaters, this direct-to-video movie swaps out nearly the entire cast — Tim Curry plays Gomez this time — as the family heads to a chaotic Addams clan reunion. It was designed as a launching pad for “The New Addams Family,” a syndicated sitcom that ran for two seasons afterward. Because it shares no cast or continuity with the 1991–1993 films, most fans treat it as an optional curiosity rather than essential viewing. The franchise then went dormant on screen for over two decades.
4. The Addams Family (2019)
This CG-animated reboot reintroduces the family as they settle into a decaying mansion, only for a reality-TV-host neighbor to threaten to expose their “freakish” home during a town-wide reveal event. Directors Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan (the duo behind Sausage Party) gave the franchise a slicker, more kid-friendly visual style while keeping the original cartoons’ spirit intact. The voice cast, including Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, and Chloë Grace Moretz, was a major draw. It performed well enough at the box office to greenlight an immediate sequel.
5. The Addams Family 2 (2021)
Gomez and Morticia, anxious about Wednesday and Pugsley growing up and drifting away, cram the family into a haunted camper for one last cross-country road trip. It’s a lighter, more episodic film than its predecessor, trading the first movie’s single antagonist plot for a series of roadside misadventures. Behind the scenes, the production added extra co-directors to manage the film’s expanded scope during pandemic-era filmmaking. As of 2026, no third animated film has been officially greenlit, making this the current end of the movie timeline.
Do You Need to Watch the Movies Before Wednesday?
No. Wednesday is a Netflix television series, not a sequel to any of the five films, and it establishes its own continuity and cast (led by Jenna Ortega) from scratch. You can dive straight into it without watching a single movie first.
Minimum viable watch order (if you’re short on time):
- The Addams Family (1991) — the essential original
- Addams Family Values (1993) — the fan-favorite sequel
- The Addams Family (2019) — if you want the modern, family-friendly take
- Skip Addams Family Reunion (1998) unless you’re a completionist
- Watch Wednesday separately, in any order relative to the films
How Many Addams Family Movies Are There?
There are five Addams Family movies total: two 1990s live-action theatrical films, one 1998 TV movie, and two 2010s–2020s animated films. Wednesday is a separate Netflix series and isn’t counted among the films.
All Addams Family Movies in Order by Release Date
1. The Addams Family — November 22, 1991
2. Addams Family Values — November 19, 1993
3. Addams Family Reunion — October 1998 (TV/home video)
4. The Addams Family — October 11, 2019
5. The Addams Family 2 — October 1, 2021
What’s Next for the Franchise?
On the film side, there’s no officially confirmed Addams Family 3 as of 2026 — MGM hasn’t announced a follow-up to the 2021 animated sequel. The bigger activity is happening on television: Netflix’s Wednesday has been renewed for Season 3, though reports suggest it won’t arrive until 2027 given the show’s elaborate production schedule.
There’s also early talk of a potential Uncle Fester spinoff series, with showrunners describing it as something they’re “definitely noodling” rather than a confirmed project. Treat all of this as unconfirmed and subject to change until Netflix or MGM make an official announcement.
FAQ
Is Wednesday connected to the Addams Family movies?
No. Wednesday is a standalone Netflix series with its own cast and continuity — it doesn’t follow the events of the 1991, 1993, 2019, or 2021 films.
What order should I watch the Addams Family movies in?
Straight release order works fine: 1991, 1993, 1998 (optional), 2019, then 2021, since there’s no shared timeline to worry about.
Is Addams Family Reunion (1998) canon?
Not really — it uses a nearly entirely different cast and was made as a pilot for a separate TV series, so most fans consider it optional.
Will there be an Addams Family 3?
No animated sequel has been confirmed as of 2026; the franchise’s next confirmed content is Wednesday Season 3 on Netflix.
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