Nancy Meyers directed and co-wrote the 1998 film, The Parent Trap. The film was bankrolled and co-written by Charles Shyer. It’s a remake of the 1961 film of the same name, as well as an adaptation of Erich Kästner’s German novel Lottie and Lisa, published in 1949.
Lindsay Lohan (in her feature debut) played both twins, Hallie Parker and Annie James, who are fortuitously reunited at summer camp after being separated at birth. Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson star as a divorced couple who separated immediately after their identical twin daughters’ birth. The screenplay for the original 1961 film based on Lottie and Lisa was written by David Swift. The plot is similar to that of Three Smart Girls, a 1936 film. Swift, Meyers, and Shyer are listed as co-writers on the 1998 edition.
On July 29, 1998, The Parent Trap was released in theatres in the United States and was a box office success, collecting $92.1 million against a $15 million budget. It was well-received by critics, with Lohan’s performance, in particular, receiving great praise.
For the dual roles of Hallie and Annie, almost 1,500 young actresses submitted audition tapes. Nancy Meyers was searching for a ‘mini Diane Keaton’ to portray the roles. Scarlett Johansson, Mara Wilson, Michelle Trachtenberg, and Jena Malone all auditioned or were considered for the roles before Lohan was cast in them, with Malone rejecting them down many times.
The film grossed $66,308,518 domestically and $25,800,000 abroad by the end of its run, totaling $92,108,518 worldwide. The picture was released on December 11, 1998, in the United Kingdom.
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