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Twitter Users Are Noticing That Hollywood Makes ‘The Same Movie’ Every Year, Post 9 Convincing Side-By-Side Examples
Have you ever watched a movie for the first time and thought you’ve already seen it? Well, that’s because you probably have. Take No Strings Attached and Friends with Benefits, both released in 2011. The first one is about a guy and girl who try to keep their relationship strictly physical, but it’s not long before they learn that they want something more. The second features a young man and woman who decide to take their friendship to the next level without becoming a couple, but soon discover that adding sex only leads to complications. No wonder you might have flashbacks about the one watching the other.
Recently, movie buff and Twitter user Kris made a thread, highlighting the times Hollywood made almost the exact same movie twice in the same year. To make their point, Kris even created side-by-side comparisons of the posters for those movies. The thread immediately went viral, generating over 232K likes.
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Image credits: KrisTosAplSauce
Image credits: KrisTosAplSauce
Image credits: KrisTosAplSauce
Image credits: KrisTosAplSauce
Image credits: KrisTosAplSauce
Image credits: KrisTosAplSauce
Image credits: KrisTosAplSauce
Image credits: KrisTosAplSauce
Image credits: KrisTosAplSauce
Image credits: KrisTosAplSauce
Image credits: KrisTosAplSauce
Image credits: KrisTosAplSauce
Image credits: KrisTosAplSauce
Of course, anyone who says there is a Hollywood movie that doesn’t follow rules and structures is kidding themselves. But there are plenty of universally acclaimed movies that explore similar themes and/or characters yet they don’t feel like the same story. Why?
Story analyst Daniel P. Calvisi says it’s important to make a distinction between formula and form. “A formula would dictate what you write. A form is dictating how you structure it, at what point do you reveal things, at what point should the story keep moving forward and keep flowing rather than stop dead in its tracks or just have an 8-page dialogue scene. So it’s not formula, it’s form,” he said in an interview for Film Courage.
After posting the thread, Kris continued his research and stumbled upon more interesting similarities
Image credits: KrisTosAplSauce
Image credits: KrisTosAplSauce
Calvisi thinks it’s all about how well a movie explores certain themes and characters. So what if someone else has already done it, if movie makers really commit themselves, they will come up with something fresh and original to add. On the other hand, if you take that away, even a well-shot piece might become forgetable. To illustrate, the story analyst turns to Logan. “It was very different from a lot of other superhero films and I think the audience responded because of that,” he said. “There was more character, it was darker, it was more mature but once he starts slashing in those action scenes, I honestly get a little bored. I’ve seen Wolverine slash with his claws in what, 7 or 8 movies by now (maybe more)? So those long extended action scenes and battle scenes and car chases for me don’t impress me so much because I’ve seen them in so many movies.”
So why does this happen? Is it because movie makers aren’t willing to risk their reputation with something bold that might offend someone or get misunderstood? Or have they totally given up on their ambitions and just want to make a sure buck? Or maybe it’s something else? Tell us in the comments below.
Soon, other people started sharing their insights as well
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What do you think ?
Al Christensen 5 years ago
I've guess I've been around too long and seen too many movies, because this isn't news to me.
Tor Rolf Strøm 5 years ago
Oh my god, you noticed!! Not like this has been a known fact for incredibly many years or anything. Congrats.
Death Metal Kitty 5 years ago
The phenomenon is called twin films: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twin_films
Leodavinci 5 years ago
1) Some of these are a real reach to make a connection, 2) others are coincidence because of a common theme/idea, and 3) others are attempts by one party to capitalize on something by another. Ex: 1) Battleship and Pacific Rim. 2) Flushed Away and Ratatouille. 3) Bugs Life started production first, but Antz released first.
Barry Parker 5 years ago
People, this is competing studios that dig up comparable scripts as other studios. It's been going on forever. They hear so and so is making an apocalypse movie about an asteroid and they say, "hey, what script do we have like that? Let's get on it!"
Adam Francis 5 years ago
It goes way beyond this. Movies are made again and again and again. Hollywood doesn't want original ideas. They want ideas that sell. The thinking is if an idea worked once, it'll work again. That's how all business works in the U.S.
Andii Bowsher 5 years ago
I first noticed this with Groundhog Day. The same year or within a short time there was another film with a very similar time loop story -only now it's so long ago I can't remember what it was (arguably better, though, than the now more famous Groundhog day). Anyone recall the name of the analogue film?
JOY JACKSON 5 years ago
why does tom holland always look like a slightly altered animated tom holland onward tom holland is just tom holland with blue skin and a long nose
Hannah Baker 5 years ago
not only movies but look at how many tv shows are remakes of older ones? Hawaii five o, magnum pi and a c**p load of others. Even Roswell new mex. is a remake of Roswell 99 It like there is no imagination in Hollywood.
Dávid Horváth 5 years ago
Wyatt Earp VS Tombstone (1993). Same story, same characters, same hot shot starts. (photos: IMDB) Whyatt-Ear...8c-png.jpg 
SuperWitty Smitty 5 years ago
This really isn't "news" but I guess there are people on Twitter who weren't aware of this. I remember realizing that Natalie Portman worked with Mila Kunis on Black Swan, which came out in 2010. This is so close to the release of No Strings Attached and Friends With Benefits in 2011 that it MUST have been a topic of discussion between them since they were both making virtually the same movie simultaneously. Deep down there must have been an element of competition: which movie would do better at the box office? Even stranger, the guy Natalie was hooking up in her movie was Mila's boyfriend and soon-to-be-husband in real life! I wonder how friendly the two actresses were in real life and how these movies affected their relationship. According to IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes, Mila's Friends with Benefits has made slightly more money and has a slightly higher rating than Natalie's No Strings Attached. Neither one's career has done really well since then but they're both hanging in there.
juan luis salas gonzalez 5 years ago
Pacific Rim is a VERY BAD copy from Evangelion (Japanese Anime) , its almost sad to watch
Francesa Miller 5 years ago
"Tornado" and "Twister" both 1996 Don't forget "Volcano" and "Dante's Peak" 1997 Okay, forget them.
Alan Smith 5 years ago
battleship: a bunch of washed up music 'artists' try and stop alien robots. pacific rim: kickass giant robot made by humans kicks a*s of giant monsters. the only thing they have in common is an attachment to the ocean.
Stephanie Johnson 5 years ago
I'm confused on why I can't comment on each one. Basically some are a definite yes others u could debate about how they actually are different 😊
Tor Rolf Strøm 5 years ago
Also.. lots of these are totally wrong. Two studios making a movie about the exact same thing, is not the same as two movies kinda sorta about the same thing-ish.
Al Christensen 5 years ago
I've guess I've been around too long and seen too many movies, because this isn't news to me.
Tor Rolf Strøm 5 years ago
Oh my god, you noticed!! Not like this has been a known fact for incredibly many years or anything. Congrats.
Death Metal Kitty 5 years ago
The phenomenon is called twin films: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twin_films
Leodavinci 5 years ago
1) Some of these are a real reach to make a connection, 2) others are coincidence because of a common theme/idea, and 3) others are attempts by one party to capitalize on something by another. Ex: 1) Battleship and Pacific Rim. 2) Flushed Away and Ratatouille. 3) Bugs Life started production first, but Antz released first.
Barry Parker 5 years ago
People, this is competing studios that dig up comparable scripts as other studios. It's been going on forever. They hear so and so is making an apocalypse movie about an asteroid and they say, "hey, what script do we have like that? Let's get on it!"
Adam Francis 5 years ago
It goes way beyond this. Movies are made again and again and again. Hollywood doesn't want original ideas. They want ideas that sell. The thinking is if an idea worked once, it'll work again. That's how all business works in the U.S.
Andii Bowsher 5 years ago
I first noticed this with Groundhog Day. The same year or within a short time there was another film with a very similar time loop story -only now it's so long ago I can't remember what it was (arguably better, though, than the now more famous Groundhog day). Anyone recall the name of the analogue film?
JOY JACKSON 5 years ago
why does tom holland always look like a slightly altered animated tom holland onward tom holland is just tom holland with blue skin and a long nose
Hannah Baker 5 years ago
not only movies but look at how many tv shows are remakes of older ones? Hawaii five o, magnum pi and a c**p load of others. Even Roswell new mex. is a remake of Roswell 99 It like there is no imagination in Hollywood.
Dávid Horváth 5 years ago
Wyatt Earp VS Tombstone (1993). Same story, same characters, same hot shot starts. (photos: IMDB) Whyatt-Ear...8c-png.jpg
SuperWitty Smitty 5 years ago
This really isn't "news" but I guess there are people on Twitter who weren't aware of this. I remember realizing that Natalie Portman worked with Mila Kunis on Black Swan, which came out in 2010. This is so close to the release of No Strings Attached and Friends With Benefits in 2011 that it MUST have been a topic of discussion between them since they were both making virtually the same movie simultaneously. Deep down there must have been an element of competition: which movie would do better at the box office? Even stranger, the guy Natalie was hooking up in her movie was Mila's boyfriend and soon-to-be-husband in real life! I wonder how friendly the two actresses were in real life and how these movies affected their relationship. According to IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes, Mila's Friends with Benefits has made slightly more money and has a slightly higher rating than Natalie's No Strings Attached. Neither one's career has done really well since then but they're both hanging in there.
juan luis salas gonzalez 5 years ago
Pacific Rim is a VERY BAD copy from Evangelion (Japanese Anime) , its almost sad to watch
Francesa Miller 5 years ago
"Tornado" and "Twister" both 1996 Don't forget "Volcano" and "Dante's Peak" 1997 Okay, forget them.
Alan Smith 5 years ago
battleship: a bunch of washed up music 'artists' try and stop alien robots. pacific rim: kickass giant robot made by humans kicks a*s of giant monsters. the only thing they have in common is an attachment to the ocean.
Stephanie Johnson 5 years ago
I'm confused on why I can't comment on each one. Basically some are a definite yes others u could debate about how they actually are different 😊
Tor Rolf Strøm 5 years ago
Also.. lots of these are totally wrong. Two studios making a movie about the exact same thing, is not the same as two movies kinda sorta about the same thing-ish.
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