By Rachel Johnson
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Since her dazzling introduction to audiences all across the world in the 1953 animated classic Peter Pan, the feisty and hot-headed fairy Tinker Bell has become the unofficial mascot of Disney and is one of the studio's most instantly recognizable characters, even being warmly regarded as "a symbol of 'the magic of Disney.'" In 2008, the lovable Hollywood legend was given her very own film franchise with the Disney Fairies series, with each of the six installments being produced by DisneyToon Studios between 2008 and 2015.
The enchanting franchise serves as both a prequel and spin-off to Peter Pan and throughout its impressive run went on to gross $493 million worldwide against a $120-$140 million budget, with four of its six entries receiving a theatrical release. Featuring a stellar ensemble cast led by Mae Whitman, Lucy Liu, Angelica Huston, and Raven-Symoné, the series charmed and entertained audiences with its spunky heroine and immersive storylines and helped add to the enduring legacy of Tinker Bell; here's how to watch the Tinker Bell movies in order.
Tinker Bell (2008)

Tinker Bell
The first Disney movie to feature the iconic fairy in a speaking role, the 2008 animated fantasy Tinker Bell serves as an origin story for the beloved character, who was born of a baby's first laugh and, through the power of the winds, is taken to Pixie Hollow (found on the enchanting island of Neverland) where she must find her place and discover her true calling as a fairy. Discouraged that tinker fairies are unable to travel to the wondrous mainland, Tinker Bell struggles with her "talent" and makes an enemy of the jealous, fast-flying fairy Vidia.
The late and great Brittany Murphy was initially chosen to portray Tinker Bell in the spellbinding original film in 2006, but after some production delays, DisneyToon Studios decided to go a different route and replaced Murphy with Mae Whitman, with the seasoned film and TV star signing on for the franchise in 2008. Whitman had a lot of voice acting experience prior to being cast and better fit the image of what Disney wanted for Peter Pan's legendary pixie sidekick, with the actress retrospectively saying to HuffPost in 2017:
"Now you have to understand that -- when I was growing up -- Peter Pan was my favorite Disney movie. So to now be part of the team that gets to go back to Never Land and have all these new adventures with characters that I've loved since childhood ... Well, it's honestly like a dream come true."
Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure (2009)

Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure
Animation
Family
Adventure
Fantasy
- Release Date
- September 3, 2009
- Runtime
- 81 minutes
- Cast
- Jesse McCartney, Mae Whitman, Jane Horrocks, Lucy Liu, Raven-Symoné, Kristin Chenoweth, Angela Bartys, Anjelica Huston, Rob Paulsen, Jeff Bennett, Grey DeLisle, John DiMaggio, Eliza Pollack Zebert, Bob Bergen, Roger Craig Smith, Thom Adcox-Hernandez, Pamela Adlon, Julie Garnye
The feisty and fun Tinker Bell was back and ready for another adventure in 2009's Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure, in which the ambitious fairy is tasked with creating a ceremonial scepter that can hold a mystical moonstone that provides Pixie Hollow with its crucial pixie dust, being specifically chosen by Queen Clarion (Anjelica Huston) to carry out the honorable service. Tinker Bell enlists the help of her best friend Terence (Jesse McCartney), but after accidentally breaking the stone, she must embark upon an epic quest to find a magic mirror.
Touting the additional voice talents of stars like Lucy Liu, Raven-Symoné, and Kristin Chenoweth, Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure once again featured Mae Whitman in the titular role and was a massive success when it was released on DVD and Blu-ray, with at-home sales bringing in roughly $50 million in revenue and selling 3.25 million units within just two months. The animated sequel currently holds a stellar 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, the highest and best-received installment in the franchise thus far.
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Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue (2010)

Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue
Animation
Adventure
Family
Fantasy
- Release Date
- July 29, 2010
- Runtime
- 76 minutes
- Cast
- Mae Whitman, Lauren Mote, Michael Sheen, Pamela Adlon, Lucy Liu, Raven-Symoné, Kristin Chenoweth, Angela Bartys, Rob Paulsen, Jesse McCartney, Cara Dillon, Faith Prince, Jeff Bennett
Long before Tinker Bell crossed paths with Wendy Darling and the rambunctious Lost Boys, the spirited fairy befriends the 9-year-old human girl, Elizabeth "Lizzy" Griffiths, while vacationing at a summer camp in England in Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue. After accidentally becoming trapped by Veridia in a hand-made fairy house and discovered by Lizzy, Tink develops a special friendship with the precocious, magic-loving child, while her friends set out on a daring rescue mission to break her free.
Unlike its predecessors, Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue takes place outside Pixie Hollow and was the first franchise entry to be given an official cinema release in the United Kingdom and Ireland, while also being screened at Hollywood's El Capitan Theatre. Disney had hoped that the sequel would earn an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature, unsuccessfully attempting to expand the category's nomination from three to five that year, as 16 or more animated films had to have been submitted in order to change the rule.
Secret of the Wings (2012)

Secret of the Wings
Animation
Family
Fantasy
Adventure
- Release Date
- August 17, 2012
- Runtime
- 75 minutes
- Cast
- Mae Whitman, Lucy Hale, Timothy Dalton, Jeff Bennett, Lucy Liu, Raven-Symoné, Megan Hilty, Pamela Adlon, Angela Bartys, Matt Lanter, Debby Ryan, Grey DeLisle, Rob Paulsen, Anjelica Huston, Jane Horrocks, Jodi Benson, Kari Wahlgren, Thomas Lennon, Ben Diskin, Jesse McCartney, Kathy Najimy, John DiMaggio, Steve Valentine, Dee Bradley Baker
In Secret of the Wings, Tinker Bell ventures into the Winter Woods along with her close friend Fawn and makes the stunning discovery that she has a sister named Periwinkle (Lucy Hale), a frost fairy who was also born from the same child's laugh, thus making them twins. When Tink's wings begin to strangely sparkle and glow upon entering the woods, she sets out to discover why, with the help of her newfound twin Peri, though the siblings must additionally figure out a way for the winter and warm-weather fairies to cross realms and visit one another.
Silver screen legend Timothy Dalton voices Lord Milori, the leader of the Winter fairies who shares a romantic history with Pixie Hollow's Queen Clarion, with the pair ultimately being revealed as the reason why the winter and warm fairies lived in separate realms. Like the franchise's previous installment, Secret of the Wings was given a theatrical release and went on to gross $67.5 million at the box office against a $30-$35 million budget, while receiving a solid 78% Popcornmeter score from fans.
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The Pirate Fairy (2014)

The Pirate Fairy
While searching for a curious dust-keeper fairy named Zarina (Christina Hendricks) after she fled Pixie Hollow following an experiment that went awry, Tinker Bell and her pals must track down the rogue fairy and the important blue pixie dust she stole in The Pirate Fairy. The friends not only discover that Zarina is now the captain of a pirate crew along with the mysterious cabin boy James (Tom Hiddleston), but also that their respective skills have been switched when Zarina throws multi-colored pixie dust at them.
The Pirate Fairy marked the appearance of the unforgettable Disney villain Captain Hook, as James is eventually revealed to be the notorious antagonist who would go on to be a major thorn in the side of Tinker Bell, Peter Pan, and the rest of the Neverland crew. Fashion designer and Project Runway winner Christian Siriano was hired by the studio to come up with the fairies' dazzling ensemble costumes (namely Zarina's), with Siriano saying in 2014, "Disney characters are everlasting, and I'm so happy as a young designer to help create a bit of Disney history."
Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast (2015)
Disneytoon Studios' final feature film to be released before its closure in 2018, Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast focuses on the highly-skilled animal fairy Fawn (Ginnifer Goodwin) as she quickly develops a friendship with a strange furry critter she names Gruff, whom she later learns is actually a legendary creature known as the NeverBeast. The monster awakens once every millennium and is capable of destroying Pixie Hollow, though Fawn sets out to prove Gruff is peaceful and doesn't deserve to be captured.
The fairies eventually realize that Gruff A.K.A. the NeverBeast is destined to actually save Pixie Hollow instead of destroying it, prompting Fawn and her friends to help protect the creature and their beloved home. Disney had actually planned on creating two additional sequels before plans were scrapped due to story problems in 2014, and when Disneytoon Studios was shut down, it effectively ended the lucrative franchise, which had grossed a whopping $493 million worldwide during its sensational run. Stream on Disney+.
Tinker Bell Movies in Chronological Order
Movie | Release Year |
Tinker Bell | 2008 |
Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure | 2009 |
Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue | 2010 |
Secret of the Wings | 2012 |
The Pirate Fairy | 2014 |
Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast | 2015 |
- Features
- Disney
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