Release OrderRecommended
0 / 3 watchedThree takes on 1962 in release order.
- 1 Hairspray February 1988 original. Start here.
- 2 Hairspray July 2007 musical remake.
- 3 Hairspray Live! December 2016 live TV version.
About Hairspray
Hairspray follows Tracy Turnblad integrating a TV dance show in 1962 Baltimore. The John Waters original arrived February 1988 with Divine and a sharp edge. The musical remake in July 2007 adapts the Broadway show with Travolta as Edna and bigger songs.
Hairspray Live aired December 2016 on NBC as a live TV musical of the 2007 version. A sequel to the 2007 film was planned then cancelled. Watch the 1988 film first for the source, then 2007 for the songs, then Live as a stage bonus. Nothing new is in production as of September 2026.
Good to know
There is no story order for Hairspray. All three versions retell the same months in 1962, so release order is about style rather than plot. The 1988 film is grittier while 2007 and Live play brighter. The cancelled sequel would have continued, but without it the trilogy of takes ends closed in 2016.
