Live-action films Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010) Principal production began on August 12, 2009, and was completed on October 16, 2009. The film was directed by
Thor Freudenthal and starred
Zachary Gordon as Greg Heffley,
Robert Capron as Rowley Jefferson,
Rachael Harris as Susan Heffley,
Steve Zahn as Frank Heffley,
Devon Bostick as Rodrick Heffley, Connor and Owen Fielding as Manny Heffley,
Chloë Grace Moretz as Angie Steadman,
Grayson Russell as Fregley,
Laine MacNeil as Patty Farrell, and
Karan Brar as Chirag Gupta. It was the only film in the series to be directed by Freudenthal. The musical score was composed by Theodore Shapiro. It received mixed reviews from critics. It was released on March 19, 2010, as it moved up from a previously scheduled April 2 release date.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (2011) Based on the second book,
Rodrick Rules, with elements from
The Last Straw. Principal photography began on August 23, 2010, and was completed on October 27, 2010, with filming taking place in
Vancouver and
New Westminster. The film was directed by
David Bowers, with Zachary Gordon reprising his role as Greg Heffley. New main characters include Holly Hills (
Peyton List), Grandpa (
Terence Kelly), and Bill Walter (
Fran Kranz). Edward Shearmur composes the original score for the film. It also received mixed reviews from critics. It was released on March 25, 2011.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (2012) Based on the third book
The Last Straw and the fourth book
Dog Days, the film was directed by David Bowers and features the same familiar cast of characters, introducing a few new ones, and also focusing on lesser characters not elaborated on in previous films, including Frank Heffley (
Steve Zahn), Mr. Jefferson (
Alf Humphreys) and Holly Hills (
Peyton List). The film is the last one to feature the original cast, as they had outgrown their roles after filming wrapped. It also received mixed reviews from critics. It was released on August 3, 2012.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul (2017) Featuring an entirely new cast, the plot follows Greg and his brother, Rodrick, unwillingly being taken on a family road trip to their great-grandmother's house for her 90th birthday party. Greg sees this as an opportunity to meet his Internet idol, Mac Digby, and get people to forget about him being dubbed as a meme known as "Diaper Hands". The film was panned by critics and audiences, with most of the criticism aimed at the casting change. It was released on May 19, 2017.
Animated reboot films Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2021) In August 2018,
20th Century Fox CEO
Stacey Snider announced that a fully animated television series based on
Diary of a Wimpy Kid was in development. On August 6, 2019, after the
acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney, the project was confirmed to be still in development for their streaming service,
Disney+. In December 2020, the project was confirmed to have been redeveloped as an animated film. On September 2, 2021, Disney officially confirmed that the new movie would be simply titled
Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and would be released on December 3, 2021. The movie is a re-adaptation of the first book and the characters appear similar in design to their appearances in the book series. The first trailer was officially released in October 2021. Unlike the previous films, which were produced by
20th Century Fox, this film was produced by
Walt Disney Pictures, although it was originally in production at
20th Century Animation.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (2022) On October 23, 2021, ahead of the first film's release, Jeff Kinney revealed that sequels are already in development. For
Disney+ Day, Kinney revealed that the sequel, based on
Rodrick Rules, was released on December 2, 2022. Unlike the first animated film, a copyright notice at the end of the trailer indicates that 20th Century Studios has involvement in the film.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever (2023) On September 8, 2023, a film based on the sixth book,
Cabin Fever was announced. It was released on December 8, 2023.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw (2025) At
D23, on August 30, 2025, a film adaptation of the third book,
The Last Straw, was announced. Similarly to the original book, it centers around Greg attempting to persuade his father Frank to reconsider his intention to send him to a military academy to instill discipline and diligence. However, like
Cabin Fever, it is Christmas-themed. It was released on December 5, 2025.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Getaway (2026) On July 28, 2025, ahead of the fourth film's release, Matt Danner revealed that a film adaptation of
The Getaway would serve as the fifth in the series. Danner is also attached as the fifth film's director, and stated that the film would release in December 2026.
Future Jeff Kinney stated that he intends to adapt all the books into animated features for Disney+. In a later interview, Kinney stated that he submitted a script for a sixth animated film in January 2026, with him saying it'll be based on one of the more recent books. ==
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Class Clown short film ==