Ivan Reitman’s Twins may not have gone down a storm with critics, but audiences couldn’t get enough of the high concept comedy when it hit theaters in December 1988, where it went on to enjoy huge success at the box office by raking in over $216 million on an $18 million budget, and it endures as a beloved classic to this day.
The reason for the movie’s continued popularity is all down to how simple and ridiculous the premise is. Arnold Schwarzenegger is a hulking physical specimen who made his name as the no-nonsense figurehead of violent action cinema, but here he’s playing a mild-mannered genius raised to be the perfect human. Not only that, but he has a secret sibling portrayed by Danny DeVito, who’s the antithesis to Schwarzenegger in almost every way.
It wasn’t high art by any means, but there’s plenty of fun to be had watching Twins, and a sequel was initially announced back in 2012. Adding even more absurdity to the concept, the follow-up was titled Triplets and Eddie Murphy was eyed for the third Benedict brother. However, there’s been very little forward momentum made in the nine years since, but in a new interview, DeVito confirmed that the project is still in development.
“Yes. Yeah, we’re working on it. It’s been a while I know, but we’re developing the screenplay right now. That’s going to happen, hopefully.”
Based on how willing he’s been to embarrass himself over the years on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, maybe Triplets would work better as an R-rated effort. After all, Murphy’s best work has always come in more adult-orientated fare, and with him being the youngest of the proposed central trio by some distance at 59 years old, a Twins sequel would definitely be geared more towards the nostalgia crowd anyway.