In a surprising twist, the 1986 horror movie Troll can be loosely tied to as many as seven different films, making it imperative for horror fans to know how to watch the Troll movies in order. After all, if you’ve seen the original and its sequel that’s often considered the “Best Worst Movie,” you may as well dive further into the rabbit hole. The different titles come together to offer fans one of the strangest, funniest, and at times gruesome horror fantasy franchises of all time.
John Carl Buechler directed the original Troll for Empire International Pictures. The studio was recognized for having produced similar hits including Ghoulies. Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before they went bankrupt, and the rights to Troll along with most of Empire’s other holdings were sold off. The new owners – Trans World Entertainment – took advantage of the Troll name and retitled their stand-alone production Goblins to Troll 2. The film was released straight-to-video by the studio’s sister company, Epic Productions, in 1990.
The two titles have since been bundled together on DVD and Blu-ray under license from MGM who eventually took over the assets of Epic Productions, Trans World Entertainment, and other related distributors. Fans have largely suspected that these are the only “true” movies in the franchise – with the cult status of Troll 2 having sparked its own 2009 documentary titled Best Worst Movie. However, Troll 2 seems to have been connected to several movies since its release, all of which have created a rather strange chronology that includes the Ator film series in addition to 2019’s Under ConTROLL. As such, below you’ll find the lists to watch the Troll movies in order including the retroactively-connected Ator series. It’s worth mentioning Quest For the Mighty Sword was released prior to Troll 2 by just a few months.
Troll Movies in Order (Release)
- Ator, the Fighting Eagle
- The Blade Master
- Troll
- Iron Warrior
- Quest For the Mighty Sword
- Troll 2
- Under ConTROLL
Interestingly, Iron Warrior is the third Ator movie, but it lacks the involvement of director Joe D’Amato who helmed the other three installments in the series. As such, Quest for the Mighty Sword is considered the true third entry in the Ator series, and we’ll be excluding Iron Warrior from the below chronological continuity order. Additionally, it’s worth noting that Quest for the Mighty Sword is the only Ator movie with any ties to the original Troll movies – and there are references to each one. The most popular reference is the inclusion of Hobgoblins that are portrayed using the same mask from Troll 2. Furthermore, a sword from the original Troll is visible as a prop, making the whole film feel like a prequel to the original two Troll installments.
Michael Deak worked on effects for both Troll and Quest for the Mighty Sword, so it seems likely he was involved with providing the sword for the latter production. Meanwhile, D’Amato did produce Troll 2, so he likely had the mask reused having been involved with both productions himself. Now that we know just how connected these movies really are – here’s a chronological list of how to watch the Troll movies in order:
Troll Movies in Order (Chronological)
- Ator, the Fighting Eagle
- The Blade Master
- Iron Warrior
- Quest for the Mighty Sword
- Troll
- Troll 2
- Under ConTROLL
The Ator films at the start of the list are all fantasy stories. They arguably depict the fantasy world where Torok and Eunice from Troll once lived. Troll 2 takes place several years after the first Troll, revolving around a different breed of fantasy creature, and Under ConTROLL circles back with a troll at the center of its story. Interestingly, while it’s a German movie, Under ConTROLL has a returning character from Troll 2 in the form of George Hardy’s Michael Waits. It’s more of a parody than a genuine follow-up, but it also has the most continuity out of any of the other films, which makes for a fascinating evolution. Some fans also consider The Crawlers aka Contamination .7 the other unofficial Troll 3, though unlike Quest for the Mighty Sword, it never had an official retitle as Troll 3 – that seems to only be an internet rumor.
John Carl Buechler tried to create a reboot of the Troll franchise for several years before sadly passing away in 2019. His attempts included a remake titled Troll: The Rise of Harry Potter Jr. and a tie-in animated series which would’ve featured the voice talents of Patricia Arquette. Though neither came to fruition, Buechler did start a similar live-action project titled Wizardream, which is largely considered a spiritual successor to Troll. However, that film remains unfinished following his death, and it’s unclear if it will see the light of day. If the zaniness of the Troll franchise has proven anything, though, it’s that no one can predict what will happen next. With at least eight films under its belt, fans will definitely need to keep this guide handy when watching the Troll movies in order and whatever might come next. If you want a similarly bizarre franchise guide after trying to watch the Troll movies in order, try and dive into The Howling and its sequels.
