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'Twilight' (1998) -

Before the huge success that was the 2008 movie with the same title, there was a 1998 neo-noir thriller starring Susan Sarandon, Paul Newman, and Gene Hackman.

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'Twilight' (2008) -

And then in 2008 we had a human (Kristen Stewart) falling in love with a vampire (Robert Pattinson), and the rest is history.

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'The Fast and the Furious' (1955) -

Most of us are familiar with the franchise that began in 2001, but this 1955 movie shares the same name. It is, however, a different story. The film is about a prison escapee who steals a rich woman's car with her in it. She ends up falling for him.

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'The Fast and the Furious' (2001) -

'The Fast and the Furious' (2001) shares the use of cars with its 1955 predecessor, but that's where the similarities end. We have street racers, an undercover FBI investigator, and lots of action.

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'Gladiator' (1992) -

This 1992 film is a sports drama about two teens (played by Cuba Gooding Jr. and James Marshall) who participate in illegal boxing matches.

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'Gladiator' (2000) -

Ridley Scott's 'Gladiator' on the other hand was a huge award-winning film starring Russell Crowe as gladiator Maximus.

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'Bad Boys' (1983) -

When we mention 'Bad Boys,' likely the 1995 buddy cop movie comes to mind. However, there is a film with the same title released in 1983. It's a coming-of-age crime drama set in a juvenile detention center. The cast includes Sean Penn, Esai Morales, and Clancy Brown.

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'Bad Boys' (1995) -

This is the first 'Bad Boys' movie where we can watch Miami PD agents Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) working together.

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'The Patriot' (1998) -

Steven Seagal plays an immunologist trying to find a cure for a deadly virus released by a militia group.

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'The Patriot' (2000) -

As for the 2000 film with the same title, it's about war veteran Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson), who  joins in the American Revolutionary War after his son is killed.

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'The Aviator' (1985) -

A pilot (Christopher Reeve) and his passenger (Rosanna Arquette) crash and have to fight against a pack of hungry wolves in order to survive.

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'The Aviator' (2004) -

This Martin Scorsese movie is about the life of record-setting pilot and business magnate Howard Hughes (Leonardo DiCaprio).

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'The Avengers' (1998) -

The original Avengers were actually the stars of a 1960s British TV series. In 1998, we had this satirical spy action comedy starring Ralph Fiennes, Uma Thurman, Sean Connery, and Patrick Macnee.

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'The Avengers' (2012) - The 2012 movie, on the other hand, has more characters, and they have superpowers! 'The Avengers' (2012) is a superhero movie based on Marvel Comics characters.

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'Child's Play' (1972) -

No, this movie has nothing to do with the popular horror movie. 'Child's Play' (1972) is about the struggles of a new gym teacher in a Catholic all-boys boarding school.

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'Child's Play' (1988) -

This is probably the 'Child's Play' most people are familiar with. The supernatural horror film revolves around an evil doll named Chucky, who is possessed by the spirit of a serial killer.

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'Heat' (1987) -

This movie stars Burt Reynolds playing a bodyguard with a gambling addiction who is trying to save up money to leave Las Vegas.

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'Heat' (1995) -

In this movie, we have a seasoned criminal (Robert De Niro) forming an unlikely bond with a detective (Al Pacino).

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'Broken Arrow' (1950) -

This Western, directed by Delmer Daves, was one of the first movies to portray Native Americans in a positive light after World War II.

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'Broken Arrow' (1996) -

This movie couldn't be more different from the 1950 Western. It stars John Travolta and Christian Slater as two pilots involved in the theft of nuclear weapons.

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'Possession' (1981) -

This psychological horror movie directed by Andrzej Żuławski revolves around a couple who are on the verge of divorce.

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'Possession' (2002) -

Fast forward to 2002 and we have this romantic drama starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Aaron Eckhart as two scholars studying Victorian poets.

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'Crossroads' (1986) -

This 1986 movie stars Ralph Macchio as a guitar player with a passion for blues (and features an epic guitar solo battle between his character and guitar virtuoso Steve Vai).

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'Crossroads' (2002) -

The 2002 movie with the same name couldn't be more different. The teen drama starring Britney Spears, Zoe Saldana, and Taryn Manning follows three friends on a road trip across the US.

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'Invincible' (2001) -

Actor Tim Roth plays a Jewish strongman working at a German cabaret during World War II.

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'Invincible' (2006) -

In the 2006 film with the same title, we have Mark Wahlberg playing the main character in the biopic of American football player Vince Papale.

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'Moulin Rouge' (1952) -

While both movies are set in the same place, the plots are indeed different. The 1952 film is a biopic about tormented artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.

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'Moulin Rouge' (2001) -

The 2001 film is basically about a writer (Ewan McGregor) who falls for a Moulin Rouge performer (Nicole Kidman).

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'Serenity' (2005) -

This 2005 sci-fi movie is actually a continuation of the show 'Firefly' (2002–2003). The story revolves around the crew of the ship Serenity trying to escape an assassin.

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'Serenity' (2019) -

As for the 2019 movie with the same name, we have the ex-wife (Anne Hathaway) of a boat captain (Matthew McConaughey) trying to convince him to murder her current husband (Jason Clarke).

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'Vice' (2015) -

Bruce Willis plays Julian Michaels, a man who created a resort called Vice, where clients' wildest fantasies can become reality.

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'Vice' (2018) -

This film, on the other hand, is about the rise of American Vice President Cheney, played by Christian Bale.

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'Christine' (1983) -

This movie is based on a Stephen King novel about a teen who buys a Plymouth Fury that is in fact an evil entity with a mind of its own.

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'Christine' (2016) -

The 2016 movie is not about an evil car, but it's also pretty dark. 'Christine' (2016) is based on the life of TV journalist Christine Chubbuck (Rebecca Hall), who was the first person to take her own life on live TV.

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'Black Sheep' (1996) -

'Black Sheep' (1996) is a comedy starring Chris Farley as an incompetent assistant to his brother, who is running for governor.

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'Black Sheep' (2006) -

The 2006 movie of the same name, however, is about a flock of sheep who turn evil following a genetic engineering experiment and devastate a farm in New Zealand.

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'Notorious' (1946) -

The 1946 movie 'Notorious' is an Alfred Hitchcock noir thriller starring Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman.

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'Notorious' (2009) -

This 2009 film is a music biopic about rapper Christopher Wallace, aka The Notorious B.I.G. (Jamal Woolard).

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'Crash' (1996) -

David Cronenberg's 'Crash' is a twisted movie about a number of people who essentially eroticize car crashes.

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'Crash' (2004) -

As for the movie with the same name released in 2004, it revolves around the lives of Los Angeles citizens and explores racial and social tensions.

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'Glory' (1956) -

This musical follows the journey of a foal called Glory as he becomes a strong racing horse.

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'Glory' (1989) -

Edward Zwick's movie, on the other hand, is a historical war drama about the first black regiment in the Civil War. 'Glory' (1989) stars Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, and Morgan Freeman.

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'Proof' (1991) -

The 1991 movie is about a blind photographer who takes photos and has people describe them to him.

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'Proof' (2005) -

'Proof' (2005) follows Catherine (Gwyneth Paltrow), the daughter of a recently-deceased genius mathematician, who worries about inheriting her father's mental illness.

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'Flawless' (1999) -

Robert De Niro plays a very conservative man who suffers a stroke and needs the help of a drag queen to get his speech back.

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'Flawless' (2007) -

In this 2007 movie set in 1960s London, we have Michael Caine playing a janitor who convinces a frustrated executive (Demi Moore) to help him steal gems.

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'Fair Game' (1995) -

'Fair Game' (1995) is about a lawyer (Cindy Crawford) who gets involved in a case with ties to former KGB members. A cop (William Baldwin) ends up protecting her.

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'Fair Game' (2010) -

This movie is a drama biopic based on the life of CIA spy Valerie Plame (played by Naomi Watts).

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'The Island' (1980) -

This movie is about a journalist (Michael Caine) and his estranged son who end up kidnapped by pirates.

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'The Island' (2005) -

As for the 2005 movie, it couldn't be more different. The island refers to the last safe haven on Earth where it's possible to live...or at least that's what the main character believes.

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'The Accused' (1949) -

This film noir drama is about psychology professor Wilma who accidentally kills her attacker, college student Bill, when he tries to rape her.

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'The Accused' (1988) -

This legal drama as also about rape, and the journey of district attorney Katheryn (Kelly McGillis) in her attempts to protect a victim (Jodie Foster) and prosecute the criminals.

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'Heaven Can Wait' (1943) -

This comedy is about a man who presents himself at the Gates of Hell to review his life with Satan, who will decide if he enters or not.

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'Heaven Can Wait' (1978) -

In this 1978 film, a quarterback (Warren Beatty) sees his soul mistakenly taken from his body by an angel before dying, and returns to life in the body of another man.

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'The Host' (2006) -

'The Host' (2006) is about a family trying to rescue the victim of a monster that emerges from the Han River in Seoul, South Korea.

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'The Host' (2013) -

This 2013 film is about parasitic aliens that erase memories from people.

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'Cake' (2005) -

This 2005 rom-com is about a travel writer who finds love after assuming control of her father's wedding magazine.

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'Cake' (2014) -

The 2014 film with the same title couldn't be more different. This one is about a woman named Claire Bennett (Jennifer Aniston), who suffers from chronic pain and questions the death of a woman in her pain support group.

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'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' (1941) -

Alfred Hitchcock directed this movie starring Carole Lombard and Robert Montgomery. The movie is about a couple who have been together for three years and find out that their marriage is not legally valid.

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'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' (2005) -

But 2005's 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith,' on the other hand, has a couple (Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie) discovering that they are both assassins and  have been hired by different agencies to kill each other.

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'Chocolat' (1988) -

Interestingly, both movies feature a French woman. This one is about a woman who returns to her childhood home in Cameroon.

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'Chocolat' (2000) -

The 2000 movie is about another French woman, who opens up a chocolate shop in a small village.

Sources: (IMDb) (CBR) (Screen Rant) (Digital Spy)

See also: Movies you didn't know were based on books

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