All 7 ‘Smokey and the Bandit’ Movies in Order

Smokey and the Bandit was a series of action-comedy films that were popular in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The movie starred Burt Reynolds as Bo “Bandit” Darville, a legendary truck driver and bootlegger. Along the way, he is pursued by the determined Sheriff Buford T. Justice, played by Jackie Gleason. The movie was a huge success and became one of the highest-grossing films of 1977, spawning two sequels in 1980 and 1983. Currently, ‘Smokey and the Bandit’ consists of 7 movies in total, and today, we are going to tell you how to watch them in the correct order.

Editor’s Note: This watch order has been updated in November 2023 and represents most up-to-date state of the ‘Smokey and the Bandit’ franchise.

All 7 ‘Smokey and the Bandit’ movies in release date order

The first movie in the franchise was released in 1977, and it was followed by two additional sequels that were less successful than the original movies. ‘Bandit’ movies are a part of the spinoff franchise. Let’s see the release date of all movies in the franchise.

1. ‘Smokey and the Bandit‘ (1977)
2. ‘Smokey and the Bandit II‘(1980)
3. ‘Smokey and the Bandit Part 3‘ (1983)
4. ‘Bandit Goes Country‘ (January, 1994)
5. ‘Bandit: Bandit Bandit‘ (March, 1994)
6. ‘Beauty and the Bandit‘ (April 3, 1994)
7. ‘Bandit’s Silver Angel‘ (April 10, 1994)

Are all ‘Smokey and the Bandit’ movies connected? What’s the best way to watch them?

All ‘Smokey and the Bandit’ movies are connected and follow similar story outlines. The films maintain continuity in characters, storyline, and the central theme of high-speed pursuits, with the main character often involved in transporting illegal goods while evading law enforcement, particularly the persistent Sheriff Buford T. Justice, played by Jackie Gleason.

If you’re new to the franchise, the correct way to watch the movies would be in their release date order, however, if you’re already familiar with their continuity in general, there is a separate chronological order that you can follow.

All 7 ‘Smokey and the Bandit’ movies in chronological order

The ‘Smokey and the Bandit’ franchise is fairly straightforward when it comes to the timeline, with one exception, ‘ Bandit Goes Country’, which was released in January 1994. Since it follows the young version of the Bandit, the movie appears to be a prequel to the entire franchise. Here are the ‘Smokey and the Bandit’ movies in chronological order.

1. ‘Bandit Goes Country‘ (January, 1994)
2. ‘Smokey and the Bandit‘ (1977)
3. ‘Smokey and the Bandit II‘(1980)
4. ‘Smokey and the Bandit Part 3‘ (1983)
5. ‘Bandit: Bandit Bandit‘ (March, 1994)
6. ‘Beauty and the Bandit‘ (April 3, 1994)
7. ‘Bandit’s Silver Angel‘ (April 10, 1994)

1. ‘Bandit Goes Country‘ (January, 1994)

Bandit, portrayed by Brian Bloom, returns home for a family reunion and encounters music star Mel Tillis, who is compelled to make an emergency landing due to a plane malfunction. Bandit extends a helping hand to Mel, but his troubles escalate when his cousin Johnny, played by Christopher Atkins, becomes involved in the illicit music bootlegging business.

2. ‘Smokey and the Bandit’ (1977)

In the first Smokey and the Bandit movie, we follow Bo Darville, who takes on a challenge to transport 400 cases of Coors beer across state lines in just 28 hours. Along the way, he is pursued by the determined Sheriff Buford T. Justice, played by Jackie Gleason, while teaming up with his partner Cledus “Snowman” Snow, played by Jerry Reed.

3. ‘Smokey and the Bandit II’ (1980)

Smokey and the Bandit II follows our main protagonist Bo Darville as he takes on another challenge, the transportation of an elephant across the country, while also dealing with his old nemesis Sheriff Buford T. Justice. Bandit and his team encounter a variety of obstacles and meet new characters, all while trying to complete their mission on time.

4. ‘Smokey and the Bandit Part 3’ (1983)

In the final installment in the original Smokey and the Bandit film series, Bo faces a new set of challenges, taking on another dangerous transportation job. He teamed up with a group of amateur truck drivers to transport a live shark to a theme park. Meanwhile, a new villain appears; this time, he is played by Burt Reynolds himself.

5. ‘Bandit: Bandit Bandit‘ (March, 1994)

Bandit, who is now played by Brian Bloom, is released from prison and reunites with his old friend and partner-in-crime, Cledus Snow, to take on a corrupt sheriff and clear his name.

6. ‘Beauty and the Bandit‘ (April 3, 1994)

The movie features Bandit’s new partner, a beautiful country singer named Dusty Trails, played by Kathy Ireland. Together, they take on a gang of thieves who have stolen a valuable computer chip.

7.’Bandit’s Silver Angel‘ (April 10, 1994)

‘The Bandit’s Silver Angel’ spin-off follows our protagonist, Bandit, who is once again transporting cargo that only he can deliver. A group of criminals tries to intervene during his transport, and they will stop at nothing to get their hands on the cargo. Bandit must use his skills and wits to outsmart them and complete his mission.

Where to watch Smokey and the Bandit movies?

The first and second ‘Smokey and the Bandit’ movies are available on Apple TV, and the third Smokey and the Bandit movie is available on the Freevee streaming service. The availability of spin-off movies is where the story gets a bit complicated.

The two spin-off movies, ‘Bandit: Bandit Bandit’ and ‘Bandit: Bandit Goes Country,’ are available only as DVD copies on Amazon. The other two movies, ‘Beauty and the Bandit’ and ‘Bandit’s Silver Angel,’ are not yet available on any streaming service or as DVD copies. You could probably find certain collector websites where the DVD copy would be available, but those copies are not always in English.

Will there be more Smokey and the Bandit movies?

There is no news yet regarding a new Smokey and the Bandit movie project, but by the end of 2020, it was announced that there is a TV series in the works. There hasn’t been any recent news about the project, but there is still hope that it will have time to shine. Some of the potential producers of this series include names like Seth MacFarlane and Danny McBride.

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