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Deep Blue Sea Movie Watch Order in the correct order

How to watch the Deep Blue Sea movies in order

Last updated: November 5 2026

Written by: ChronoAlice

Deep Blue Sea is the gloriously over-the-top shark thriller about genetically enhanced sharks that get smarter than their creators. Two sequels followed years later, so here's how to watch the whole series.

Directed by Renny Harlin, the 1999 Deep Blue Sea follows researchers at an underwater facility who boost sharks' brain tissue in search of an Alzheimer's cure, with predictably disastrous results. Starring Thomas Jane, Saffron Burrows, LL Cool J and Samuel L. Jackson, the film is remembered for its shocking twists and creature mayhem. Direct-to-video sequels arrived in 2018 and 2020 with new characters and new experiments.

πŸ• Release Order

Release order is the clearest way to follow the series, from the original shark lab to its later successors.

  1. Deep Blue Sea (1999)
  2. Deep Blue Sea 2 (2018)
  3. Deep Blue Sea 3 (2020)

The sequels don't continue the original characters' stories. Instead, they revisit the idea of brain-enhanced sharks with fresh casts, so each film is fairly self-contained.

πŸ“– Story Chronology

In story order, the films follow the same sequence as release, with each sequel exploring a new round of shark experiments.

  1. Deep Blue Sea (1999)
  2. Deep Blue Sea 2 (2018)
  3. Deep Blue Sea 3 (2020) β€” follows on from Deep Blue Sea 2

Which Order Should You Choose?

Always start with the original. It's the only theatrical release and the one that made the franchise famous. If you want more shark action, Deep Blue Sea 2 and 3 are lighter popcorn entertainment best watched together, since the third film follows on from the second.

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