Let’s face it—Hollywood is a sucker for copying itself. You settle in for what appears to be a new tale, only to find yourself having just seen almost the same plot, characters, and even title a couple of months prior. Welcome to the weird and laughable realm of twin movies: those freaky moments when two (or sometimes more) studios release almost identical films almost simultaneously. Sometimes it’s a coincidence, sometimes it’s out-and-out competition, but the result is always the same—audiences rubbing their heads and critics debating over who did it better. Here’s a countdown of 10 of the most insane, head-scratching instances of cinematic déjà vu.
10. The 2025 Jesus Movie Explosion
If you found one Jesus movie a year sufficient, 2025 decided to put your faith in scheduling to the test. There was an entire crop of Christ-centered releases this year alone, six, to be precise, two different The Last Suppers opening in theaters weeks apart. Duelling animated renderings (The King of Kings and Light of the World) also appeared, as did a faith-based thriller called Zero A.D., and even a horror-laced retelling of the Infancy Gospel, The Carpenter’s Son. It’s not an exaggeration to say 2025 set some sort of record for holy redundancy. If you purchased tickets to the “wrong” Last Supper, relax, so did half the crowd.
9. Deep Impact & Armageddon (1998)
In 1998, the world seemed to be doomed twice. Summer saw two huge disaster spectacles, Deep Impact and Armageddon, both about humans racing to prevent an asteroid from destroying the planet. Both included emotional sacrifices, dark government briefings, and doomsday special effects. The only major differences? One had Morgan Freeman as president, the other Bruce Willis and Aerosmith’s power ballads. They were released just weeks apart, and it left people going to the movies wondering if Hollywood had set its own course for collision.
8. A Bug’s Life & Antz (1998)
Saving the world wasn’t enough for 1998, as the year also provided us with two animated escapades regarding enterprising ants. Pixar’s A Bug’s Life and DreamWorks’ Antz both arrived on the big screen nearly back-to-back, with both telling stories about outsider bugs who disrupt the norm. One was a maverick inventor ant, the other a neurotic worker bee (ahem, ant), yet both became heroes. Their imagery, subject matter, and release dates were so close that most children, and quite a few grown-ups, thought they were identical films.
7. The Prestige & The Illusionist (2006)
Magicians seemed to have their moment in 2006. The Prestige and The Illusionist both summoned up turn-of-the-century illusionists fixated on deception, love, and vengeance. Christopher Nolan’s The Prestige went dark and psychological, while The Illusionist went for romance and mystery. Nonetheless, with all the top hats, secrets, and sleight of hand, even the critics were confused. For audiences, it was the greatest trick of all: two magic dramas, one confused audience.
6. No Strings Attached & Friends With Benefits (2011)
In 2011, Hollywood doubled down on one concept: friends who attempt to make things “just casual” before they always end up falling in love. No Strings Attached featured Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman; Friends With Benefits cast Mila Kunis opposite Justin Timberlake. The twist? Kunis and Kutcher are now married IRL, that is, both of them appeared in the “other” rendition of their own romance. You could not have scripted a more meta romantic comedy if you attempted to.
5. The Circle & Circle (2015–2017)
Other times, the confusion arises not from similar narratives but from almost identical titles. Circle (2015) was a low-key sci-fi thriller where strangers had to decide who lived and died, while The Circle (2017) featured Emma Watson and Tom Hanks in a tech-spy thriller warning about surveillance. Even with totally different plots, their titles (and similar dystopian feel) resulted in lots of confusion, particularly since both surfaced during the streaming age, when algorithms aren’t so concerned with subtlety.
4. Victor/Victoria & Tootsie (1982)
Comedy about gender-bending was huge in the early ’80s, and 1982 brought us two movies with almost the same premise. Victor/Victoria featured Julie Andrews posing as a woman posing as a man posing as a woman (yes, actually), while Tootsie had Dustin Hoffman going into a dress to secure a spot on a soap opera. Both tackled identity, ambition, and performance, with acid wit and unintended profundity. And though each was a classic in its own right, they’re forever conjoined as the year’s most bewildering case of comic cross-dressing.
3. Showgirls & Striptease (1995–1996)
Mid-90s Hollywood was obsessed with strip-club movies for a moment, and moviegoers were caught in the middle. Showgirls (1995) went all-out for tawdry spectacle and excess, while Striptease (1996) tried for a more comedic, human touch with Demi Moore as a single mother. Their risqué posters and virtually identical marketing campaigns made them impossible to distinguish at first glance. They both tanked critically, but they’ve both developed cult followings for reasons that have nothing to do with each other.
2. Avatar & The Last Airbender (2009–2010)
When James Cameron’s Avatar became an international phenomenon in 2009, confusion came soon after. One year later, M. Night Shyamalan brought us The Last Airbender, adapted from Nickelodeon’s popular animated television show Avatar: The Last Airbender. Due to Cameron’s trademark dispute, “Avatar” had to be removed from the title, but the timing and branding debacle guaranteed perpetual misunderstandings. To this day, some fans even correct individuals in the middle of a sentence: “No, not that Avatar.
1. Rise of the Guardians & Legend of the Guardians (2010–2012)
There aren’t many confused movies so hilarious, or so common, as this one. Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole (2010) was an epic fantasy about heroic owls. Two years later, DreamWorks came out with Rise of the Guardians (2012), starring Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and other mythical creatures teaming up to protect the world. Same mythological voice, very similar title setup, totally different films. Even today, many audiences still believe they’re related. Spoiler: the owls and Santa never encounter each other.
Sometimes, it’s pure competition, two studios chasing the same trend at once. Other times, it’s just a coincidence, the result of dozens of screenwriters catching the same cultural wavelength. Ideas circulate, concepts overlap, and suddenly you’ve got two volcano movies or three Jesus films in one year. And with today’s nonstop production cycle, those creative echoes are happening faster than ever.
Still, there’s something kind of charming about it. Twin movies remind us that even in a business obsessed with originality, great minds (and sometimes greedy ones) really do think alike. So next time you’re browsing for a movie night, double-check that title, you might just be seeing double.