The Correct Order To Watch The Hotel Transylvania Movies

Even if you don't know the name Genndy Tartakovsky, chances are high that if you watched cartoons in the '90s or '00s, you've seen his work. "Dexter's Laboratory" kickstarted the reign of Cartoon Network by becoming the first so-called "Cartoon Cartoon," while "Samurai Jack" is one of the most influential cartoons from the '00s thanks to Tartakovsky's eye for dynamic action and understanding of the importance of silence in storytelling. Even his "Star Wars: Clone Wars" micro-series continues to influence "Star Wars" to this day. And outside of animation, Tartakovsky helped save the action scenes in "Iron Man 2."

In 2012, Tartakovsky made his feature film debut with "Hotel Transylvania," a movie that brought together classic Universal Monsters and reimagined them into a fun animated movie for all ages seen from the eyes of a human who falls in love with Dracula's daughter. It was a monster movie that managed to do what the Dark Universe only dreamed of. The film was a big hit, considering there are four films in the franchise, plus a TV show — with another one on the way.

Before you complain about the death of originality in Hollywood and the dominion of franchises, A) Hollywood has always relied on sequels to make money, and B) most of the films in this particular franchise are actually really good! If you want to embark on a journey of monsters, dance-offs, and Adam Sandler saying "blah blah blah" in his best Dracula voice, make sure you follow this watch order for "Hotel Transylvania."

The "Hotel Transylvania" movies are pretty straightforward, with each movie (with the exception of the fourth film) having a numerical title that makes it easy to follow. So, whether you're rewatching the movies or watching for the first time, simply follow the release order:

"Hotel Transylvania" (2012)

"Hotel Transylvania 2" (2015)

"Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation" (2018)

"Hotel Transylvania: Transformania" (2022)

For the most part, the "Hotel Transylvania" movies tell a cohesive story, with the boomer Dracula having a character arc across the films as he learns to be more open-minded and confront his prejudices. The first film is about Dracula coming to terms with the idea that maybe humans aren't all monsters, then the sequel has him struggling with anxiety over his grandson not being a monster like him, telling a great story of prejudices and acceptance that is full of gags and adds Mel Brooks to an already impressive voice cast. The third film follows Dracula going through a bit of a mid-life crisis, finding new love (only to discover the woman he is crushing on is his arch-nemesis' great-granddaughter) in a story inspired by "National Lampoon's Vacation." The fourth movie is by far the weakest, clearly suffering from the lack of Sandler and Tartakovsky, neither of whom opted to return for the fourth entry.

Then there's the TV spin-off. Though not necessary to understand the main story, "Hotel Transylvania: The Series" is a fun expansion of the movies' world, focusing on Dracula's daughter Mavis and her friends growing up at the hotel. And next year will see the release of another show, "Motel Transylvania," about Dracula and Mavis somehow deciding to expand their business to set up a resort for both humans and monsters in California.