Twins (1988)

Twins is a 1988 American buddy comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and written by William Davies, William Osborne, Timothy Harris, and Herschel Weingrod. The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito as Julius and Vincent Benedict, twin brothers created as a result of a secret genetic experiment, who were separated at birth and raised in drastically different circumstances. Also starring Kelly Preston, Chloe Webb and Bonnie Bartlett, the story follows the naïve but physically imposing Julius as he travels to Los Angeles to find Vincent, a cynical small-time crook, and the two set out on a journey to uncover the truth about their origins and locate their long-lost mother.

The project marked the first collaboration between Reitman and Schwarzenegger and represented a major departure for Schwarzenegger, who had previously been known primarily for action films. Because Universal Pictures considered casting him in a broad comedy a financial risk, Schwarzenegger, DeVito, and Reitman agreed to forgo their usual salaries in exchange for a share of the film's profits. The film was produced on a budget of about $18 million, with location filming taking place in California and northern New Mexico, including scenes shot around Santa Fe, Taos, and Los Alamos.

Released in the United States on December 9, 1988, Twins was a commercial success. The film opened at number one at the U.S. box office and remained there for several weeks, eventually grossing $112 million domestically and $216 million worldwide. Its success made it one of the highest-grossing films of 1988 and resulted in large profit participations for its stars and director due to their backend deal.

Critical reception to Twins was mixed, with reviewers divided over the film's reliance on the "wackiness" at the expense of its narrative. The film's success led to further collaborations between Schwarzenegger and Reitman such as Kindergarten Cop (1990) and Junior (1994), the latter of which reunited them with DeVito. Plans for a sequel titled Triplets were developed for several years but were ultimately cancelled following Reitman's death in 2022.