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Wes Anderson watch order

Wes Anderson movies in order, by release and rating. Updated October 20, 2026.

Wes Anderson's films don't share a story, so watch them in release order: Bottle Rocket (1996), Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic, The Darjeeling Limited, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Moonrise Kingdom, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Isle of Dogs, The French Dispatch, Asteroid City and The Phoenician Scheme (2025), with The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023) as a short.

How to watch the Wes Anderson movies in order: the full guide

All 13 films and series in the Wes Anderson franchise, in release order and in chronological (story) order. The first in release order is Bottle Rocket (1996); the first in chronological order is Bottle Rocket (set in Amateur thieves in Texas).

Release order

  1. Bottle Rocket (Movie, 1996): Anderson's debut, co-written with Owen Wilson and starring both Wilson brothers as hopeless Texas thieves.
  2. Rushmore (Movie, 1998): Jason Schwartzman's debut and Bill Murray's first Anderson film, as rivals for a teacher's heart.
  3. The Royal Tenenbaums (Movie, 2001): Gene Hackman fakes cancer to win back a family of burned-out former prodigies in New York.
  4. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (Movie, 2004): Bill Murray hunts the shark that ate his partner, with David Bowie songs sung in Portuguese.
  5. The Darjeeling Limited (Movie, 2007): Three grieving brothers on an Indian train; the short Hotel Chevalier is its prologue.
  6. Fantastic Mr. Fox (Movie, 2009): Anderson's first stop-motion film, a Roald Dahl adaptation voiced by George Clooney and Meryl Streep.
  7. Moonrise Kingdom (Movie, 2012): Two 12-year-olds run away together on a New England island as a hurricane closes in.
  8. The Grand Budapest Hotel (Movie, 2014): Ralph Fiennes as a concierge framed for murder; the film won four Oscars.
  9. Isle of Dogs (Movie, 2018): His second stop-motion film: a boy searches a garbage island off Japan for his exiled dog.
  10. The French Dispatch (Movie, 2021): An anthology built as the final issue of a New Yorker-style magazine based in France.
  11. Asteroid City (Movie, 2023): A desert stargazing convention in 1955, framed as a stage play inside a TV documentary.
  12. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (Movie, 2023): A 39-minute Netflix short from Roald Dahl that won Anderson his first Oscar.
  13. The Phoenician Scheme (Movie, 2025): Benicio del Toro as a tycoon who makes his nun daughter his partner in a final scheme.

Chronological order

  1. Bottle Rocket (set in Amateur thieves in Texas): Anderson's debut, co-written with Owen Wilson and starring both Wilson brothers as hopeless Texas thieves.
  2. Rushmore (set in Rushmore Academy): Jason Schwartzman's debut and Bill Murray's first Anderson film, as rivals for a teacher's heart.
  3. The Royal Tenenbaums (set in A family of geniuses): Gene Hackman fakes cancer to win back a family of burned-out former prodigies in New York.
  4. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (set in The Belafonte): Bill Murray hunts the shark that ate his partner, with David Bowie songs sung in Portuguese.
  5. The Darjeeling Limited (set in A train across India): Three grieving brothers on an Indian train; the short Hotel Chevalier is its prologue.
  6. Fantastic Mr. Fox (set in Three farmers and a fox): Anderson's first stop-motion film, a Roald Dahl adaptation voiced by George Clooney and Meryl Streep.
  7. Moonrise Kingdom (set in New Penzance, 1965): Two 12-year-olds run away together on a New England island as a hurricane closes in.
  8. The Grand Budapest Hotel (set in Zubrowka): Ralph Fiennes as a concierge framed for murder; the film won four Oscars.
  9. Isle of Dogs (set in Trash Island): His second stop-motion film: a boy searches a garbage island off Japan for his exiled dog.
  10. The French Dispatch (set in Ennui-sur-Blasé): An anthology built as the final issue of a New Yorker-style magazine based in France.
  11. Asteroid City (set in A desert town, 1955): A desert stargazing convention in 1955, framed as a stage play inside a TV documentary.
  12. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (set in A short: a man who sees through cards): A 39-minute Netflix short from Roald Dahl that won Anderson his first Oscar.
  13. The Phoenician Scheme (set in A tycoon and his daughter): Benicio del Toro as a tycoon who makes his nun daughter his partner in a final scheme.

Common questions

What order should I watch the Wes Anderson movies in?

Wes Anderson's films don't share a story, so watch them in release order: Bottle Rocket (1996), Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic, The Darjeeling Limited, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Moonrise Kingdom, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Isle of Dogs, The French Dispatch, Asteroid City and The Phoenician Scheme (2025), with The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023) as a short.

How many Wes Anderson movies and shows are there?

There are 13 titles in the Wes Anderson franchise: 13 films and 0 series, released from 1996 to 2025.

How long does it take to watch all the Wes Anderson movies?

About 21 hours for all 13 titles, counting every episode.

What is the first Wes Anderson title in chronological order?

Bottle Rocket, set in Amateur thieves in Texas. In release order the first is Bottle Rocket (1996).