What to Know About 5 Times Since 2020 That Movies With the Same Plot Were Released at the Same Time That You Forgot About
It seems like an odd thing to happen, yet there are so many cases throughout history of two movies coming out around the same time that have very similar premises. A famous instance of this happened in 1998, which saw the release of Armageddon and Deep Impact, two films that dealt with global catastrophic disasters. That same year, both Antz and A Bug’s Life were released as CGI animated films centering on ants who leave their colonies, are in love with the princess, and return home as heroes. 2006 saw The Prestige and The Illusionist, two period pieces about magicians, arrive. Even going back to the 1920s, there were multiple takes on Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde released in the same year. It might seem like a concept that was really only a thing in the past, but there have actually been several notable iterations of it since the 2020s began.
Some of these twin movies flew under the radar and people likely didn’t even realize they were basically copycats of each other. In a few cases, the lack of a theatrical run made it easy to overlook. Although they have been forgotten about, watching them as a double feature would make for an interesting evening.
5) Pinocchio & Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
The most prominent case of twin films releasing in the same year during the 2020s came in 2022 with two takes on the classic story of Pinocchio. First, Disney put out its live-action adaptation of Pinocchio from Robert Zemeckis and starring Tom Hanks as Geppetto. Released straight to Disney+, the film was a critical misfire and is conisdered one of the most unnecessary remakes in Disney history. Despite solid visuals and a talented cast, almost nobody seems to care about this version.
However, Guillermo del Toro delivered his iteration of the story (along with co-director Mark Gustafson), told through beautifully crafted stop-motion animation. Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio was beloved by critics and is considered by many to be the best version of this story. The setting in fascist Italy, combined with the animation style, allowed this to feel different from any other Pinocchio tale. It was clear which film was superior and that Disney should’ve left their classic from the ’40s alone.
4) Elvis & Priscilla
In 2022, Elvis kind of took the world by storm. The film works as a biopic on the titular legendary singer, with Austin Butler receiving widespread critical acclaim for his lead performance. He even earned an Academy Award nomination and worked well with co-star Tom Hanks (his second twin movie of the era). The movie was a hit at the worldwide box office and overshadowed the film that followed it, which also dealt with Elvis Presley but in a different way.
2023 saw the arrival of Priscilla, from Sofia Coppola. While it was nowhere near as big a commercial hit, only grossing just over $30 million compared to the near $300 million that Elvis brought in, the movie took a deep dive into the life of Priscilla Presley. Cailee Spaeny earned a Golden Globe nomination for her lead performance, while Jacob Elordi presented a more honest look at some of Elvis’ worst habits. Although these are twin movies, the opposite viewpoints make for something unique.
3) The First Omen & Immaculate
In some cases, twin movies make sense because the premise is so broad, like Armageddon and Deep Impact both being about a world-ending event. However, The First Omen and Immaculate being twin films is odd since their setup is rather specific. Both movies center on young American nuns in Rome who unexpectedly get pregnant and learn that they have some kind of demonic offspring similar to the Antichrist resting inside of them.
The First Omen acts as a prequel to 1976’s The Omen and is actually the sixth installment in that franchise. Reviews were positive for it and the film was a solid hit on a commercial level, giving the franchise another success. Immaculate stands on its own despite the similar setup and was also positively received by critics. It also did better at the box office due to the small budget and it was boosted by the popularity of its lead actress, Sydney Sweeney.
2) Totally Killer & Time Cut
Another set of twin movies that were actually released a year apart, Totally Killer and Time Cut both manage to blend horror, sci-fi, and comedy in impressive fashion. 2023’s Totally Killer was the first, and the Prime Video original picks up after Jamie’s (Kiernan Shipka) mother is murdered. She then travels back in time and works with a younger version of her mother to stop the Sweet 16 Killer (her mother’s killer), who initially went on their murder spree in 1987.
Netflix’s Time Cut came out about a year later and centers on Lucy (Madison Bailey) as she travels 20 years into the past to 2003 to try and save her older sister from a masked serial killer. The underrated Totally Killer sits at 85% on Rotten Tomatoes, while Time Cut is at 26%, so it’s obvious that one is viewed as significantly better than the other, yet both are a fun time for fans of slashers and comedy.
1) Ready or Not 2: Here I Come & They Will Kill You
2026 saw the latest iteration of twin movies coming out, including one that’s a sequel. Ready or Not, released in 2019, saw Grace (Samara Weaving) marry into a wealthy family, only for them to hunt and try to kill her in a game of hide-and-seek as a sacrifice in a satanic ritual. Ready or Not 2: Here I Come brought Grace back and introduced new wealthy families to hunt her, yet it also included the debut of her sister, Faith (Kathryn Newton).
They Will Kill You focuses on Asia (Zazie Beetz), as she takes a job as a housekeeper at a high-rise in New York where the workers try to kill her as part of a satanic ritual. Asia also tries to survive alongside her sister, which truly puts the movie right in line with Ready or Not 2: Here I Come. Most people ignored They Will Kill You, yet both movies are a blast for their over-the-top action and ridiculous premises.
