Twin films

First film Release date Second film Release date Similarities Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde 1920 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde 1920 Based on The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886)^[12] Ingagi 1930 Africa Speaks! 1930 Both exploitation films about an expedition in the Belgian Congo.^[13] Dishonored 1931 Mata Hari 1931 Both films are about female spies. MGM studios, alarmed by the competition that the Sternberg-Dietrich phenomena posed to star Greta Garbo, responded with the copycat Mata Hari the same year.^[14] The Black Cat 1934 Maniac 1934 Both are loose adaptations of The Black Cat.^[15][16] Young Mr. Lincoln 1939 Abe Lincoln in Illinois 1940 Both are about Abraham Lincoln.^[17][18] Alice au pays des Merveilles 1949 Alice in Wonderland 1951 Both are feature-length animated adaptations of Lewis Carroll's 1865 novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The Walt Disney Company would sue the French film's distributors to prevent release of the British version in the U.S., and the case was extensively covered in Time magazine.^[19] The company that released the British version accused Disney of trying to exploit their film by releasing its version at virtually the same time.^[19] Sign of the Pagan 1954 Attila 1954 Both films about Attila and his invasion of the Western Roman Empire; a contemporary review in The New York Times writes, "Attila the Hun, quite ignored by moviemakers up to now, is about to step into the limelight in two new films."^[20] Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines 1965 The Great Race 1965 Both are slapstick films about a race in the early 1900s, inspired by the success of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963).^[21][22][23] The films were released two weeks apart.^[24] You're a Big Boy Now 1966 The Graduate 1967 Also Benjamin (1968). All are coming-of-age comedy-drama films about a young man being pursued by an older woman.^[25] Leo the Last 1970 The Landlord 1970 Both deal with issues of class and race and feature an upper-class man who moves into a lower-class black neighborhood and gets involved with the residents.^[26] The Strawberry Statement 1970 Getting Straight 1970 Also The Revolutionary and R. P. M. (1970). All are dramas about campus revolt.^[27] Bloody Mama 1970 The Grissom Gang 1971 Both based on the life story of Ma Barker.^[28] Godspell 1973 Jesus Christ Superstar 1973 Both adaptations of 1971 Broadway musicals based on the life of Jesus Christ.^[29][30] The Killing of Angel Street 1981 Heatwave 1982 Both were loosely based on the disappearance of Australian anti-development activist Juanita Nielsen.^[31][32] Wild Style 1983 Beat Street 1984 Both are well-received old-school hip hop films, focusing on all four pillars of hip hop culture.^[33][34] Gothic 1986 Haunted Summer 1988 Also Rowing with the Wind (1988). All depict the summer in 1816 that Percy Shelley, Mary Shelley, and John William Polidori spent with Lord Byron at his villa, and their private contest to produce the best horror story, which led to Mary Shelley writing Frankenstein.^[35] K-9 1989 Turner & Hooch 1989 Both are buddy cop-dog films about a police officer who gets a dog for a partner.^[11] Goldeneye: The Secret Life of Ian Fleming 1989 Spymaker: The Secret Life of Ian Fleming 1990 Both are biopics of James Bond creator Ian Fleming.^[36] Lambada 1990 The Forbidden Dance 1990 Both are Dirty Dancing knock-offs produced on a small budget to cash in on the popularity of the song of the same name.^[37] King of New York 1990 New Jack City 1990 Both portray gang culture in New York City and were released within 6 months of each other near the end of 1990. 1492: Conquest of Paradise 1992 Christopher Columbus: The Discovery 1992 Both films deal with Columbus' discovery of the New World. These films were released to commemorate the 500th anniversary of this discovery. A comedic version of the discovery was also released in 1992 with Carry on Columbus, while an animated musical version was released in 1992 under the title The Magic Voyage.^[38] American Me 1992 Blood In Blood Out 1993 Both films depict gang violence in the Mexican-American community in California. At one point, American Me star and director Edward James Olmos was offered to star in and direct Blood In Blood Out, but passed on the film due to creative differences.^[39] Floyd Mutrux is credited as a co-writer on both films. Carnosaur 1993 Jurassic Park 1993 Both are action adventure films involving the genetic recreation of dinosaurs or prehistoric animals. Both are also based on books.^[11] Groundhog Day 1993 12:01 1993 Both are about an individual stuck in a 24 hour time loop where the protagonist wakes every morning on the same day and experiences the events of that day over and over until they discover how to break the cycle. 12:01 is based on a 1973 short story previously made into a short film in 1990. Kalifornia 1993 Natural Born Killers 1994 Also 1993 mini-series Murder in the Heartland. All are road movies about a couple engaging in multi-state killing sprees and all directly or loosely based on real murderer Charles Starkweather. Both films have Juliette Lewis as a main character. The Beverly Hillbillies 1993 Addams Family Values 1993 Both films are adaptations of 1960s American television sitcoms, centering on eccentric families struggling to fit into conventional society while humorously exposing its flaws. The Beverly Hillbillies follows a rural family that strikes oil and moves to Beverly Hills, where their simple ways clash with high society. Addams Family Values continues the story of the macabre Addams clan, who face suburban norms head-on, especially through Wednesday’s rebellious antics at summer camp. Both films feature a subplot where a naïve, wealthy bachelor—Jed Clampett and Uncle Fester—is targeted by a scheming woman after his fortune.^[40] Tombstone 1993 Wyatt Earp 1994 Both are based on the life of Wyatt Earp. Gordy 1994 Babe 1995 Both are family films starring piglets.^[10] The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert 1994 To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar 1995 Both have the plot of drag queens going on a road trip across their country (in one case Australia, in the other, the United States), in a journey of self-discovery. Braveheart 1995 Rob Roy 1995 Also The Bruce (1996); all are adventure/war biopics set in Scotland.^[10][41] Powder 1995 Phenomenon 1996 Both tell the story of a man with telepathic powers that make him an outcast in a small town. Both films were also released by Disney's Buena Vista Pictures. Tornado! 1996 Twister 1996 Also Night of the Twisters (1996). All deal with tornado chasers in their line of work who must track down a large tornado. The Arrival 1996 Contact 1997 Both are science fiction thriller films in which the main character is a radio astronomer that takes part in a conspiracy involving making first contact with an alien race. Executive Decision 1996 Air Force One 1997 Both are films about terrorists hijacking a plane and a rescue team saving the passengers and defeating the terrorists. Con Air (1997) also has a similar concept, though involving convicts. Dante's Peak 1997 Volcano 1997 Also Volcano: Fire on the Mountain (1997). All three are disaster films centered around volcanic eruptions.^[9][10] Prefontaine 1997 Without Limits 1998 Both are biographical sports films about long-distance runner Steve Prefontaine.^[10][42] Kundun 1997 Seven Years in Tibet 1997 Both are fact-based dramas set in mid-20th century Tibet, with the 14th Dalai Lama as a main character.^[10] The House of Yes 1997 The Myth of Fingerprints 1997 Also The Ice Storm (1997). All three films center around dysfunctional families gathering for Thanksgiving. Murder at 1600 1997 Absolute Power 1997 Both films center around a Washington, D.C. murder investigation involving the President/at the White House.^[43][44] Antz 1998 A Bug's Life 1998 Both are computer-animated films about insects, starring a non-conformist ant who falls in love with an ant princess, leaves the mound, and eventually returns and is hailed as a hero.^[10][42] The Curve 1998 Dead Man On Campus 1998 Both are thrillers where two college roommates try to get their third roommate to commit suicide in order to get a passing grade. Both are also based on the same urban legend. Deep Impact 1998 Armageddon 1998 Also Doomsday Rock (1997), Asteroid (1997), Tycus (1998), and Judgment Day (1999). All are global catastrophic risk disaster films centered around an impending impact event that threatens to end most or all life on Earth.^[9][10] Saving Private Ryan 1998 The Thin Red Line 1998 Also Life Is Beautiful (1997). All are dramas about World War II.^[10] Simon Birch 1998 The Mighty 1998 Both films are about a child with Morquio syndrome.^[42][45] Sliding Doors 1998 Run Lola Run 1998 Both films tell the same story of a woman multiple times, changing a minor detail at the beginning and depicting how that change drastically affects the outcome.^[46] 54 1998 Last Days of Disco 1998 Both films are set against the backdrop of the waning disco era of the late 1970s and early 1980s.^[47] The Truman Show 1998 EDtv 1999 Also Pleasantville (1998). All are films in which a person or a large group of people's lives are broadcast on TV.^[10] Overnight Delivery 1998 Road Trip 2000 Both are romantic comedy road films where a college student believes his girlfriend, attending another college, is cheating, and sends nasty letter. He then discovers that she's not cheating, and must embarks on a road trip to her campus recover the package before she gets it., while being joined by his friends. The Matrix 1999 The Thirteenth Floor 1999 Also eXistenZ (1999) and Dark City (1998);^[10][48] all are science fiction films involving a false reality, and the theme of whether the world is real or an illusion. Anywhere But Here 1999 Tumbleweeds 1999 Both films concern a mother-daughter pair who drive across the country to settle in California.^[49] Entrapment 1999 The Thomas Crown Affair 1999 Both are caper films focused on the relationship between an attractive female insurance investigator and a male thief who steals an expensive painting by a famous artist.^[10] End of Days 1999 Stigmata 1999 Also Lost Souls (2000); all are supernatural religious horror films involving the Catholic Church. Both End of Days and Stigmata star Gabriel Byrne as a main character. Both End of Days and Lost Souls involve the theme of Satan taking possession of a man's body.^[10] 10 Things I Hate About You 1999 Hamlet 2000 Also O (2001); All are modern-day adaptations of William Shakespeare plays, featuring Julia Stiles as the female lead.^[50] Scary Movie 2000 Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the Thirteenth 2000 Both are horror movie spoofs featuring a killer wearing a Ghostface mask; Scary Movie additionally had the working title Scream If You Know What I Did Last Halloween.^[10] Padre Pio: Miracle Man 2000 Padre Pio: Between Heaven and Earth 2000 Both are Italian television films about Padre Pio, made in response to his beatification in 1999.^[51] Mission to Mars 2000 Red Planet 2000 Also Blood Red Planet (2000) and Ghosts of Mars (2001). All are science fiction adventure films about expeditions to Mars.^[52][10] However, Ghosts of Mars is a horror film. Wonder Boys 2000 Finding Forrester 2000 Both are films involving a writer and his friendship with a student.^[10] Bring It On 2000 Sugar & Spice 2001 Both films are comedies about high school cheerleading squads. Sugar & Spice star Marley Shelton was the second choice to play Bring It On character Torrance Shipman, prior to Kirsten Dunst being cast in the role, after previously turning it down.^[53] Also, according to Bring It On star Gabrielle Union, she and many of her Bring It On co-stars also auditioned for Sugar & Spice.^[54] U-571 2000 Enigma 2001 Both are fictional thrillers set in World War II about the Germans' Enigma machine. The Score 2001 Heist 2001 Both are crime thriller films involving a major robbery.^[10] Red Eye 2005 Flightplan 2005 Both are thriller films set on airplanes.^[10] Capote 2005 Infamous 2006 Both are drama films about Truman Capote and the writing of In Cold Blood.^[9][10] The confluence of the two films led to an incident in 2003 when Infamous writer-director Douglas McGrath called producer Bingham Ray to announce that his script had been finished, and Ray responded "I know, I've got it on my desk!" before realizing that he actually had the screenplay to Capote.^[9] The Zodiac 2005 Zodiac 2007 Also Curse of the Zodiac (2007);^[55] All are films based on the story of the Zodiac Killer. Slither 2006 Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem 2007 Both are sci-fi horror films about an invasion by alien parasites in small American towns, and feature aliens laying eggs inside of live human hosts. Zzyzx 2006 Zyzzyx Road 2006 Both are thrillers about people trying to hide a dead body on Zzyzx Road in California.^[56] United 93 2006 Flight 93 2006 Both are dramas about United Airlines Flight 93.^[10] The Prestige 2006 The Illusionist 2006 Both are films about 19th-century magicians.^[10] Happy Feet 2006 Surf's Up 2007 Both are computer-animated comedy films about penguins.^[57] This Christmas 2007 Nothing Like The Holidays 2008 Both are Christmas comedies set in Chicago and revolve around extended families celebrating the holiday season. Eagle Eye 2008 Echelon Conspiracy 2009 Both center around a government AI supercomputer that is tasked with protecting the US through ubiquitous surveillance and endless access to nearly all technology, which becomes too autonomous and powerful.^[58] Repo! The Genetic Opera 2008 Repo Men 2010 Set in a dystopian future, both films are about one or more corporate-employed "repo men" who fatally repossess artificial organs when patients default on their payments.^[59] Observe and Report 2009 Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2009 Both are comedy films about an overweight mall cop.^[2] Gamer 2009 Surrogates 2009 Also Avatar (2009); Science fiction films in which people control physical remotely-operated bodies.^[2][60][61] Despicable Me 2010 Megamind 2010 Both are computer-animated films featuring a stereotypical villain as the protagonist.^[62] Skyline 2010 Battle: Los Angeles 2011 Both are alien invasion movies that primarily take place in Los Angeles. Sony Pictures, the studio of Battle, initiated legal action against the directors and special effects gurus of Skyline for allegedly ripping off ideas and equipment for their similar film. Sony later dismissed their arbitration, stating they were satisfied their own special effects were not used in Skyline.^[63] No Strings Attached 2011 Friends with Benefits 2011 Both are romantic comedies about a pair of friends who have a casual, non-romantic sexual relationship and eventually fall in love. No Strings Attached had the working title Friends with Benefits, but had to be renamed due to a conflict with the other film.^[64] Yann Samuell's War of the Buttons 2011 Christophe Barratier's War of the Buttons 2011 Both are French film adaptations of the 1912 novel War of the Buttons, released a week apart from one another, though the first was set in the Algerian War while the second was set in World War II.^[65] The Raid 2011 Dredd 2012 Both films deal with a law enforcement officer infiltrating a tall residential building in pursuit of a crime lord, wherein the crime lord attempts to turn the residents against the officer.^[66] Extraterrestrial 2011 Seeking a Friend for the End of the World 2012 Also 4:44 Last Day on Earth (2011) and Melancholia (2011). All are apocalyptic science fiction films.^[67][68] Quartet 2012 A Late Quartet 2012 Both are about the members of a classical music quartet facing old age.^[69] Upside Down 2012 Patema Inverted 2013 Both are a romance between characters of twin worlds, each with gravity opposite to the other.^[70] The Other Son 2012 Like Father, Like Son 2013 Both films revolve around two young men who were switched at birth and raised by families from contrasting socioeconomic strata.^[71] A Hijacking 2012 Captain Phillips 2013 Both are about a pirate attack on a cargo ship off the coast of Somalia.^[72] Jobs 2013 Steve Jobs 2015 Both are Steve Jobs biopics.^[73] Olympus Has Fallen 2013 White House Down 2013 Both are action films about terrorist attacks on the White House.^[74] Oblivion 2013 After Earth 2013 Both films include a protagonist who must fight for survival on a post-apocalyptic Earth.^[75] This Is the End 2013 The World's End 2013 Also Rapture-Palooza (2013); all are apocalyptic comedy films.^[76] Both This Is the End and Rapture-Palooza star Craig Robinson as a main character. The Double 2013 Enemy 2013 Both are about a man who finds his physical doppelgänger in a seemingly totalitarian state.^[77] Yves Saint Laurent 2014 Saint Laurent 2014 Both are Yves Saint Laurent biopics.^[74] The Equalizer 2014 John Wick 2014 Both films involve a highly trained protagonist who seeks vengeance through killing.^[78] Life After Beth 2014 Burying the Ex 2014 Also Warm Bodies (2013). All three are romantic comedies involving zombies.^[79] Moonwalkers 2015 Operation Avalanche 2016 Both are films based on Moon landing conspiracy theories.^[80] The Beauty Inside 2015 Every Day 2018 Both are a romance between a woman and a spirit who wakes up every day in a different body.^[81][82] Marguerite 2015 Florence Foster Jenkins 2016 Both films are based on the life of Florence Foster Jenkins.^[83] The Martian 2015 Approaching the Unknown 2016 Also Forsaken (2018). Both are about a man who is stranded in space on a mission to Mars and has to figure out a way to survive.^[84] Spectre 2015 Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation 2015 Both films feature the protagonists chasing after secret criminal organisations through Austria, Morocco and London while their intelligence agencies are shutting down=^[85] Paramount had to advance the release date of Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation to avoid conflicting with Spectre.^[86] Other People 2016 The Hollars 2016 Both are about a male writer living in New York City who returns to his hometown for his mother dying of cancer.^[87][88] Christine 2016 Kate Plays Christine 2016 Both are films about Christine Chubbuck, though Kate Plays Christine is a documentary about the acting process.^[89] Patriots Day 2016 Stronger 2017 Both films revolve around the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings and their aftermath.^[90][91] Captain Fantastic 2016 The Glass Castle 2017 Both are about a large family who lives secluded from the civilized world and deal with its moral ramifications.^[92] Anthropoid 2016 The Man with the Iron Heart 2017 Both films are about Operation Anthropoid, the assassination of SS-Obergruppenführer Reinhard Heydrich.^[93] The Jungle Book 2016 Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle 2018 Both are live-action, CGI-heavy adaptations of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book, though the 2016 film is a remake of the 1967 animated musical film.^[94] Crowhurst 2017 The Mercy 2018 Both films are about Donald Crowhurst's ill-fated entry in the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race, a non-stop round-the-world sailing competition. Uniquely, these films not only have an identical subject, but were also distributed by the same studio, namely StudioCanal: according to the head of StudioCanal UK, Danny Perkins, the company bought the low-budget production Crowhurst "so we could control it".^[95] Goodbye Christopher Robin 2017 Christopher Robin 2018 Goodbye Christopher Robin is a biopic about Winnie the Pooh creator A. A. Milne and his son Christopher Robin Milne. Christopher Robin is about the fictional Winnie the Pooh character Christopher Robin (who the elder Milne modeled on his son) reuniting with Pooh and his friends as an adult.^[96] Sink or Swim 2018 Swimming with Men 2018 Both are about a man who is facing a midlife crisis and joins an all-male synchronised swimming team.^[97] Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich 2018 The Happytime Murders 2018 Both are dark comedies featuring puppets.^[98] Beautiful Boy 2018 Ben Is Back 2018 Both are melodramas about a family with a teenage son facing a drug addiction.^[99][100] Skate Kitchen 2018 Mid90s 2018 Both are coming of age stories about a group of skateboarding teenagers played by inexperienced actors who skateboard in real life. In both films, the primary character is the newest member of the group and has a contentious relationship with their single mother.^[101][102] Widows 2018 The Kitchen 2019 Both are about the law-abiding wives of criminals who take up their husbands' criminal plans when they are gone.^[103][104] Lez Bomb 2018 Happiest Season 2020 Both films revolve around lesbians who plan to come out to their conservative families during the holidays, only to be confronted by their ex-boyfriends; Lez Bomb is set on Thanksgiving while Happiest Season takes place on Christmas.^[105] Fyre Fraud 2019 Fyre 2019 Both are documentaries about the Fyre Festival.^[106] The Haunting of Sharon Tate 2019 Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 2019 Both are films about Sharon Tate and her murder. Although the former is a horror thriller film that dramatizes the events, the latter takes place in an alternate universe where the murder did not take place.^[107] The King's Letters 2019 Forbidden Dream 2019 Both are about King Sejong the Great and his patronage of scholarship.^[108] Ujda Chaman 2019 Bala 2019 Both movies are about men facing premature baldness, hence becoming a subject of social ridicule and facing problems finding a spouse.^[109] The Curse of La Llorona 2019 La Llorona 2019 Both films are about the legend of La Llorona.^[110] Peninsula 2020 Army of the Dead 2021 Both are zombie films in which the protagonists are recruited to enter the quarantined zombie area to retrieve a large amount of money.^[111] Killer Spider 2020 Holy Spider 2022 Both are dramatizations of the case of Saeed Hanaei, a serial killer who targeted sex workers in Iran.^[112] Pinocchio 2022 Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio 2022 Also Pinocchio: A True Story (2022) and Pinocchio and the Water of Life (2023). All films are based on The Adventures of Pinocchio. Three of the films—Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio, Pinocchio: A True Story, and The Adventures of Pinocchio—star Tom Kenny.^[113] Violent Night 2022 The Mean One 2022 Also Christmas Bloody Christmas (2022). All are films about a murderous Santa Claus figure.^[114] Corsage 2022 Sisi & I 2023 Both are films about Empress Elisabeth of Austria with anachronistic soundtracks.^[115] Elvis 2022 Priscilla 2023 Both are films about or revolve around Elvis Presley.^[116] The Beast in the Jungle 2023 The Beast 2023 Both are French adaptations of the Henry James novella The Beast in the Jungle.^[117] The Covenant 2023 Kandahar 2023 Also Warhorse One. All films are set in a Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.^[118] Four Daughters 2023 Little Girl Blue 2023 Both films combine documentary and fiction; actresses are invited to re-enact real events and portray women who are either missing or deceased and are related to another woman who appears in the film, and also tell stories about women being abused and generational trauma. Both films premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival two days apart.^{[119][120][121][122]} The Great Escaper 2023 The Last Rifleman 2023 Based on the true story of Bernard Jordan, both are films about an elderly World War II veteran who escapes his nursing home in order to attend a milestone anniversary commemorations of the Normandy landings in France.^[123] Reality 2023 Winner 2024 Both are films about American whistleblower Reality Winner.^[124] The Pope's Exorcist 2023 The Exorcism 2024 Both films star Russell Crowe, in which he plays some form of exorcist.^[125] Totally Killer 2023 Time Cut 2024 Both films are about a female high school student who is accidentally transported back in time and must unmask an unidentified serial killer who terrorized their town and prevent the murder of a female relative who is in high school at the time.^[126] The First Omen 2024 Immaculate 2024 Both films are about young American nuns who travel to Rome, Italy, and become unexpectedly pregnant with what turns out to be a demon fetus/the antichrist.^[127] An Unfinished Film 2024 Caught by the Tides 2024 Both are Chinese films set during the COVID-19 pandemic that use footage of the same actors filmed by the director in the 2000s and 2010s.^[128] Piece by Piece 2024 Better Man 2024 Both movies are musical biopics about artists with the surname Williams depicted in an unorthodox fashion: Piece by Piece shows Pharrell Williams' life through Lego animation, while Better Man depicts Robbie Williams as a CGI chimpanzee.^{[129][130][131]} My Penguin Friend 2024 The Penguin Lessons 2024 Both films are about a man in South America who befriends a penguin after the loss of their child.^[132] Close Your Eyes Hind 2025 The Voice of Hind Rajab 2025 Also Hind Under Siege (2025). All three are about the Killing of Hind Rajab.^[133]