Hollywood has been releasing identical movies every year for decades, leaving people scratching their heads
Hollywood often lacks originality, but that’s nothing new, and some movie fans are starting to realize how often studios release films that are eerily similar.
If you think we don’t get enough original ideas coming out of Hollywood… you’re right on the money.
Studios have always been risk averse, and simply don’t want to greenlight films they don’t think have any potential for profit.
However, they began to tighten their wallets as the cost of filmmaking rose over the years.
If you can’t guarantee an existing market execution, complement or offshoot potential, you may be out of luck.
But beyond that, studios don’t seem to mind imitating each other in order to make some money either.
The phenomenon even has a term “twin movies,” and some people on social media are starting to realize how frequently this happens.
Double films tend to come out within a year of the first film’s release and often share similar themes or plot points.
So the easiest example that comes to mind is the 2011 movie friends with benefits And the movie no strings attached.
Some other examples are Olympus Has Fallen and the White House Has Fallen, The Illusionist and The Prestige, Paul Blart: Mall Cop, Surveillance and Reporting…you get the picture.
There’s even a Wikipedia page dedicated to the cinematic phenomenon dating back to 1913.
Admittedly some comparisons are a bit vague or out there but others are right on the money.
Some Reddit users were baffled because they hadn’t noticed this trend before. Others commented on the reasons behind this phenomenon and why it is unlikely to happen anytime soon.
“Real answer: You can’t sit on the IP anymore. “When you hear that another company has a similar concept going into production, you either produce your product now or become known as the wannabe company too,” another added.
“Sometimes it’s as simple as someone making a pitch to a studio. Said studio was reminded that they already had their script and decided to go with what they had rather than pay for another one.
“That’s because when a movie becomes a project/projected hit/actual box office success, competing studios are always trying to get similar projects across the finish line. ‘These are the ones we hear about.’
In all likelihood, it’s probably a combination of all of these reasons, but it’s hard not to notice it when you notice it.
(tags for translation) Film and Television
