Has anyone else noticed that movies with a similar theme or subject matter tend to be released in tandem? I've noticed Abraham Lincoln films are all the rage in the last several months, for example



Is this all just coincidence, or do the studios get wind of what they think is a killer idea another studio is developing, and hire someone else to conjure up a possible blockbuster with a similar theme?

It can be a coincident, but studios do keep an eye out what movies the others are making and will attempt to take advantage of the box office potential. Propably the same idea has been circulating around before someone buys it, so the losers interested in the idea will try to make their own versions of the theme.

Then there are also the piggyback riders, who try to take advantage of a high profile movie. Movies that either rely on people mistaking them for the actual blockbuster or ones just trying to offer the consumers similar movies of the same genre. It also propably has to do with managing the risks assosiated in making movies. Even if your movie isn't a hit, it might get a boost because of the similar theme to another potentially a very succesful movie.