Over the course of film history, monsters have been depicted as horrifying and dangerous creatures who were often used to frighten children all over the world. Perhaps that is why theHotel Transylvaniafranchisehas become such a hitsince its release in 2012: it showcases a lesser-known side of monsters, proving that they are not that different from humans after all. Thanks to this franchise, created by comedy writer, filmmaker, and novelist Todd Durham, young audiences worldwide were able to peek into the amusing lives of cinema and literature’s most famous,fearsome, and classic monsters, like Count Dracula, Frankenstein, the Mummy, and the Werewolf.
Update August 14, 2025:Hotel Transylvaniais a great movie to watch with the whole family around Halloween, so this article has been updated with more information about each film as well as where you’re able to stream them.
TheHotel Transylvaniafranchise is made up of four feature films, three short films, a TV series, and two video games. The first three movies were directed by Genndy Tartakovsky, helming a star-studded cast of comedy talents:Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Steve Buscemi, David Spade, Fran Drescher, and Molly Shannon, among many others. Sandler stars as Count Dracula, a human-hating vampire who goes to great lengths to keep his daughter Mavis (Selena Gomez) safe and sound in his spooky hotel for monsters, a facility designed for them to rest safely away from humans. However, throughout the films, these seemingly terrifying characters reveal their awkward and tender natures, embarking on the most hilarious adventures that entertain bothchildren and adults alike. Here is a ranking of allHotel Transylvaniamovies and TV series.
5Hotel Transylvania: The Series (2017 to 2020)
Due to the popularity of the franchise’s movies, in 2017,Hotel Transylvania: The Series, also produced by Sony Pictures Animation, was released. This series boasted two seasons that ran until October 2020, and it served as a prequel to the films, as it is set in 2008, four years beforeHotel Transylvania. The show focuses on Mavis' teenage years, particularly at a time when Count Dracula traveled to the Vampire Council, leaving his daughter and her best friends at the hotel to experience hilarious adventures.
Of course, not all is laughter and fun, because Mavis remains in the care of her rigid and boring aunt, Lydia Dracula. Apart from Lydia, the series also presents Mavis' friends Wendy Blob, Hank N. Stein, and Pedro, relatives of the well-known characters from the movies, who also appear in a few episodes. One significant aspect to mention is that the voice cast is entirely different from the movies, starring Bryn McAuley as teenage Mavis and David Berni as Count Dracula.
You can streamHotel Transylvania: The Serieson fuboTV.
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4Hotel Transylvania: Transformania (2022)
Hotel Transylvania: Transformania
The fourth instalment in the Hotel Transylvania series. Johnny may be in trouble as he changes into a monster, while everyone else becomes human. Starring Andy Samberg and Selina Gomez.
Hotel Transylvania: Transformaniawas the fourth and final installment in the franchise, and it involved some significant changes from the previous films. For starters, it was the first film not to be directed by Tartakovsky but by Derek Drymon and Jennifer Kluska, each making their directorial debut. Furthermore, due to the COVID-19 pandemic it was the only film not released in theaters. Instead, its distribution rights were sold to Amazon Studios, who released the movie on Amazon Prime Video in 2022. There were also some major cast changes: Adam Sandler and Kevin James did not reprise their roles as Count Dracula and Frankenstein, being replaced by Brian Hull and Brad Abrell respectively.
This time, Dracula must face one of his deepest fears: thanks to Professor Abraham Van Helsing’s latest invention, monsters were transformed into humans, and Johnny, on the contrary, became a monster. Therefore, this vampire and his son-in-law are forced to travel to South America to find a cure before it’s too late. A major step down for the franchise but still managed to give it a somewhat satisfying conclusion.
You can streamHotel Transylvania 4: Transformaniaon Prime Video.
3Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (2018)
Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation
Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacationwas the third film in the franchise, and in contrast to the previous two entries opened in the summer movie season. The film shattered a few records for being the highest-grossing film in theHotel Transylvaniaseries, collecting $528 million worldwide, as well as, perDeadline, Sony Pictures Animation’s highest-grossing fully animated movie at the time.
This sequel represents a major change in location, as for the first time, it is set almost entirely outside the hotel. Mavis senses that her father is very stressed out at work and decides to treat him to a surprise monster cruisealong with their family and friends. Drac hates vacations and only accepts to go because it’s a gift from his beloved daughter. As soon as he steps on the ship, something unexpected happens: after many years, the vampire falls in love when he meets the ship’s captain, Ericka Van Helsing. However, there is one thing he completely ignores: the woman is, in fact, his arch-nemesis’s great-granddaughter, and she is willing to destroy monsters once and for all.
You can streamHotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacationon FuboTV.
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Universal’s Classic Monsters were terrifying spectacles at their time of release, and are credited with putting creature features on the map.
2Hotel Transylvania (2012)
Hotel Transylvania
Hotel Transylvaniamarked the beginning of the franchise. Released in 2012 and helmed by Tartakovsky in his directorial debut, this production introduces the now-beloved characters for the first time, particularly Count Dracula, the owner of Hotel Transylvania, and his daughter Mavis. For years, he has worked very hard to protect his daughter from the outside world, which he finds alarming, and he has curbed all her attempts to go on adventures.
With Mavis' 118th birthday coming up and all her friends and family dropping by to celebrate, the safety bubble her father put her in may suddenly burst as a mysterious guest walks through the hotel doors and straight into the girl’s heart: Jonathan, who appears to be the first human to ever visit the place that is not afraid of monsters at all. The film is hilarious and was a great introduction to the franchise, helping make it one of the most enduring and unique animated family franchises of all time.
You can streamHotel Transylvaniaon Hulu and FuboTV.
1Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015)
Hotel Transylvania 2
The secondHotel Transylvaniamovie snags the top spot in this ranking on account of the tremendous job they did cementing both the story and the characters, especially in light of the original film’s popularity.Hotel Transylvania 2was released in 2015, setting the story several years after the events of the first movie. Mavis and Johnny are now parents to a little boy named Dennis, who doesn’t seem to have any ability as a vampire, so Mavis is considering moving somewhere safer for the child.
His grandfather Drac, convinced that his grandson is a vampire but concerned because he has not yet acquired his fangs, steps in and, with the help of his friends, decides to train the boy so that he can turn into a monster. But the clock is ticking: Vlad, Drac’s stern father, is paying a visit to the hotel, and he has no idea about his son’s new policy towards humans.Hotel Transylvania 2takes everything great about the first movie and cranks it up to eleven with even more jokes and more heart.
