Cloverfield Movies in Order – How They Are Connected [Timeline Explained]

The Cloverfield film series consists of three science fiction anthology films, set in a shared fictional universe. The stories all involve creatures from other dimensions attacking Earth, as a repercussion of an experiment by an astronaut team aboard the Cloverfield Station in outer space.

The franchise also includes tie-in websites and a tie-in manga to the first film. The websites provide background information on the fictional universe, while the manga tells a side story that is not directly connected to the films.

The Cloverfield films are produced by J. J. Abrams and his production company Bad Robot Productions. Abrams is also the creator of the franchise and has directed the first two films. Dan Trachtenberg directed the third film.

The series has been generally well-received by critics, with the first film being praised for its found-footage style and the second film being praised for its suspenseful plot. However, the third film was met with mixed reviews, with some praising its ambitious ideas but others feeling that it did not live up to the expectations set by the first two films.

Despite the mixed reception of the third film, the franchise has proven to be commercially successful, with all three films grossing over $250 million at the box office worldwide.

The Cloverfield movies in order

  • Cloverfield – 16 January 2008
  • 10 Cloverfield Lane – 11 March 2016
  • The Cloverfield Paradox – 4 February 2018

The first film, Cloverfield (2008), follows a group of friends in New York City who witness the attack of a giant monster. The second film, 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016), follows a woman who is held captive in an underground bunker with two men, after a chemical attack renders the outside world uninhabitable. The third and most recent film, The Cloverfield Paradox (2018), follows a team of astronauts who are sent to space to save Earth from an energy crisis, but end up unleashing a creature that threatens the planet.

Will There Be Any More Cloverfield Films in the Future?

It was reported in April 2018 that A Quiet Place was intended to be the fourth film in the series, but Paramount and its screenwriters determined that it would function better as a standalone picture.

The Cloverfield franchise is set to continue with an upcoming fourth film. In January 2021, Joe Barton was hired as a screenwriter, and Abrams will collaborate with Hannah Minghella on the film. Bad Robot Productions and Paramount Pictures are teaming up to produce the sequel. It will not be shot in found-footage style, as was the case with the original film.

How the Cloverfield Movies are Connected?

The Cloverfield films are a little different. While they all take place in the same series, and while they’re certainly connected, the stories are more like anthology tales and aren’t especially dependent on one another.

Paramount Pictures/producer J.J. Abrams developed sequel after the success of Cloverfield; instead of creating new Cloverfield films from scratch, they used existing unproduced scripts (which had nothing to do with Cloverfield) and modified them to fit into the Cloverfield Universe. While 10 Cloverfield Lane was based on a script called The Cellar, The Cloverfield Paradox was based on a script called God Particle.

To transform these scripts into Cloverfield movies, additional content was added to provide a connection to the rest of the Cloverfield Universe. These connections help establish a link between the films, but each film may equally be viewed as an individual chapter (as originally intended).

Cloverfield movies Rating and Where to Watch Them Online?

MovieIMDbRotten TomatoesWhere to watch online?
Cloverfield (2008)778%Amazon Prime, AppleTV
10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)7.290%Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube
The Cloverfield Paradox (2018)5.521%Netflix

Cloverfield (2008)

  • Directed by: Matt Reeves
  • Runtime: 1h 25m

On May 22, 2008, Cloverfield occurs as Robert spends his last day in New York City before moving to Japan for a new career. The city is overcome by a loud bang and the emergence of an enormous scaly, and gangly monster, prompting the parties to be halted as New York City comes apart and the Statue of Liberty’s head is chopped off.

As the reptile monster rips through Manhattan, Beth’s daring rescue begins, all caught on tape via a hand-held camera amid chaos and devastation. Finally, where did this merciless invader come from and, most significantly, is there hope for survival? They go on a journey deep into the streets of New York, devastated to try to save Rob’s real love as they investigate.

The first teaser trailer for Cloverfield was introduced by a two-minute advertisement that did not feature the film’s title but did reveal the release date: January 18, 2008. The viral marketing campaign includes the creation of MySpace accounts for fake people, a high level of secrecy around the film’s plot, and the development of phony company websites cited in the movie.

10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)

  • Directed by: Dan Trachtenberg
  • Runtime: 1h 43m

When a woman is held captive in an underground bunker with two men, after a chemical attack renders the outside world uninhabitable, she must fight to survive as the truth about their situation is revealed.

The film was originally titled The Cellar, and began development in 2012. In January 2016, the title was changed to 10 Cloverfield Lane, and the film was released on March 11, 2016.

The Cloverfield Paradox (2018)

  • Directed by: Julius Onah
  • Runtime: 1h 42m

In the Cloverfield franchise, the newest film is set in the year 2028. The movie begins with an interview with a novelist shown on television. If you look closely at the lady conducting the interview, you’ll notice that she’s the same woman who played 10 Cloverfield Lane’s young protagonist!

The connection is established at this point. In his book Mark Stambler explains how a malfunctioning particle accelerator experiment resulted in utter pandemonium during the conversation. He claims that it has the potential to summon monsters, demons, and aquatic creatures!

As the Earth’s limited resources continue to dwindle and a global energy crisis looms, a ray of optimism may be found in a small crew of scientists aboard the Cloverfield Station in space.

The Sherpard particle accelerator is a machine with the potential to save mankind or rip holes in reality’s fabric—and soon, peculiar events caused by unknown faults will produce amazing insights. Who has the ability to control the unimaginable powers that have been released irresponsibly?

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