How to watch
Romancing the Stone Movie Watch Order in the correct order
How to watch the Romancing the Stone movies in order
Last updated: November 12 2026
Written by: ChronoAlice
Romancing the Stone and The Jewel of the Nile are two of the most fun adventure romances of the 1980s. Here's how to watch the Joan Wilder movies in order.
Directed by Robert Zemeckis, Romancing the Stone stars Kathleen Turner as Joan Wilder, a shy romance novelist who travels to Colombia to rescue her kidnapped sister and finds herself on a treasure hunt with roguish adventurer Jack Colton, played by Michael Douglas. Danny DeVito steals scenes as the bumbling Ralph. The hit film led to The Jewel of the Nile, which reunited the trio for a desert adventure in North Africa.
π Release Order
Release order follows Joan and Jack's adventures exactly as they hit theaters, just a year apart.
- Romancing the Stone (1984)
- The Jewel of the Nile (1985)
The Jewel of the Nile is a direct sequel that picks up with Joan and Jack after their first adventure, so the timeline couldn't be simpler.
π Story Chronology
The sequel finds Joan struggling with writer's block and her relationship with Jack while sailing the Mediterranean, before she is lured into a new adventure. The chronology matches the release order.
- Romancing the Stone (1984)
- The Jewel of the Nile (1985)
Which Order Should You Choose?
Watch Romancing the Stone first. It's the stronger film, mixing action, comedy, and romance in a way that influenced plenty of later adventure movies. The Jewel of the Nile is lighter and sillier but still a lot of fun, especially thanks to the chemistry between Turner, Douglas, and DeVito. If you love treasure-hunting adventures, Indiana Jones and National Treasure are natural next stops.
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