As &34;It Takes Two&34; turns 30, it's time to look back on the Olsen twins' cinematic universe. Ranking the best MaryKate and Ashley movies, from It Takes Two to New York Minute As &34;It Takes Two&34; turns 30, it's time to look back on the Olsen twins' cinematic universe. By Madeline Boardman Madeline Boardman Madeline Boardman is a former digital features director at . She left EW in 2017. EW's editorial guidelines November 17, 2025 8:00 a.m. ET :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/MaryKateandAshleymovies428111025b1775221bdaf4926a16f1d0921ffb362.

As "It Takes Two" turns 30, it's time to look back on the Olsen twins' cinematic universe.

Ranking the best Mary-Kate and Ashley movies, from It Takes Two to New York Minute

As "It Takes Two" turns 30, it's time to look back on the Olsen twins' cinematic universe.

By Madeline Boardman

Madeline Boardman

Madeline Boardman is a former digital features director at **. She left EW in 2017.

EW's editorial guidelines

November 17, 2025 8:00 a.m. ET

Brocker Way as Jean, Mary-Kate Olsen as Mel Porter, Ethan Peck as Michel, and Ashley Olsen as Ally Porter in 'Passport to Paris'; Mary-Kate Olsen as Amanda Lemmon in 'It Takes Two'; Ashley Olsen as Jane Ryan in 'New York Minute'. Credit:

Warner Home Video via Everett (3)

For a span of time in the '90s and 2000s, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen were an unstoppable media force. Rising to prominence with their shared scene-stealing role as Michelle Tanner on *Full House*, the twin sisters then starred in a series of family-friendly films that saw them getting into hijinks and jet-setting to some of the world's most glamorous cities.

After a handful of TV movies, the big-screen Olsen Cinematic Universe (OCU) began with *It Takes Two* (1995), a *Prince and the Pauper*-inspired story that celebrates its 30th anniversary on Nov. 17. Following its success, the Olsens released a new film (or *films!*) every single year from 1998 to 2004 before Ashley's semi-official retirement from acting.

Ahead, we're ranking Mary-Kate and Ashley's 11 features, revealing which you should prioritize if you're in a nostalgic mood.

11. The Challenge (2003)

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen as Shane and Elizabeth 'Lizzie' Dalton in 'The Challenge'.

Dualstar Entertainment Group/Warner Home Video

A few years after *Survivor* made its debut, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen got in on the fun with the 2003 release of *The Challenge*. The flick sees the sisters starring as estranged twins Shane and Elizabeth, who are forced to face each other as participants on the fictional, eponymous reality show.

10. New York Minute (2004)

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen as Roxy and Jane Ryan in 'New York Minute'.

Warner Brothers/Courtesy Everett Collection

The Olsens' theatrical career was shorter than a New York minute. While the majority of their teenage years were spent releasing direct-to-video titles, Mary-Kate and Ashley gave the big screen a go in 2004 with the debut of *New York Minute*. Also starring Eugene Levy, Andy Richter, and Jared Padalecki, the box office failure lost some of the magic of the sisters' earlier projects, framing the girls as Jane and Roxy, two opposing sisters who spend one whirlwind day in New York City.

9. Getting There: Sweet 16 and Licensed to Drive (2002)

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen as Kylie and Taylor Hunter in 'Getting There'.

Dualstar Entertainment Group/Warner Home Video

Mary-Kate and Ashley had 2002 Winter Olympics fever in *Getting There*, a video that was released just days before the sisters turned 16. As Taylor and Kylie Hunter, they use their newly acquired driver's licenses to road trip to Salt Lake City for the Olympics, and pick up mishaps, romantic trysts, and catchphrases along the way.

8. Switching Goals (1999)

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen as Sam and Emma Stanton in 'Switching Goals'.

Dualstar Entertainment Group/Warner Home Video

The same year that they wrapped their run on ABC's *Two of a Kind*, Mary-Kate and Ashley starred in *Switching Goals* as Sam and Emma Stanton. In a classic identical twin-switching maneuver, the girls trade places on their opposing soccer teams to fulfill their athletic and romantic pursuits.

7. When in Rome (2002)

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen as Charli and Leila Hunter in 'When in Rome'.

Dualstar Entertainment Group/Warner Home Video

The Olsen twins went international in 2002 with the release of *When in Rome*. Mary-Kate and Ashley played Charli and Leila Hunter, two students in Rome for a summer internship. Steamy Italian flings and a mysterious scandal bring the flick solidly to the middle of the pack.

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6. Billboard Dad (1998)

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen as Tess and Emily Tyler in 'Billboard Dad'.

Everett Collection

Early in their careers, Mary-Kate and Ashley starred in *Billboard Dad,* a 1998 release about two daughters of a single father (Tom Amandes). The sweet film taught viewers the correct way to make scrambled eggs, the power of a good dating ad, and the only way to handle a poolside bully.

5. Our Lips Are Sealed (2000)

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen (left) as Maddie and Abby Parker in 'Our Lips Are Sealed'.

Everett Collection

One of the Olsen twins' more offbeat projects, *Our Lips Are Sealed* featured Mary-Kate and Ashley as Maddie and Abby Parker, two girls who find themselves in the Witness Protection Program after they are witnesses to a museum robbery. The chatty girls blow their cover time after time, eventually landing in Australia with new identities and hunky new Australian surfer boyfriends (Ryan Clark, Scott Swalwell).

4. Holiday in the Sun (2001)

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen as Madison and Alex Stewart in 'Holiday in the Sun'.

Dualstar Entertainment Group/Warner Home Video

Accompanied by a little Weezer, the Olsen twins hit the Bahamas for 2001's *Holiday in the Sun*. The girls played Madison and Alex Stewart, two wealthy teens who spend vacation at the Atlantis Resort but wind up in Bahamian jail after their romantic moonlight cruise takes a dark turn. Come for the island intrigue, stay for Megan Fox in her very first credited role as mean girl Brianna.

3. It Takes Two (1995)

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen as Amanda Lemmon and Alyssa Callaway in 'It Takes Two'.

Warner Bros./Courtesy Everett

In one of their first video releases outside of the *Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley* franchise, the girls put an Olsen twin spin on a life-swap story with *It Takes Two*. The flick starred the girls as Amanda Lemmon and Alyssa Callaway, two kids who are not related but happen to look like identical twins. Accompanied by costars Kirstie Alley and Steve Guttenberg, they meet at Camp Callaway and decide to switch places, inspiring some hilarious shenanigans, a flawless explainer of the Sloppy Joe, and one epic food fight.

2. Winning London (2001)

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen (left) as Chloe and Riley Lawrence in 'Winning London'.

Warner Home Video/Everett

Mary-Kate and Ashley said "Cheerio" to the United Kingdom in 2001 with the release of *Winning London*. The sisters starred as Chloe and Riley Lawrence, twins with different personalities and priorities. They travel to London as a part of their school's Model UN team, and pull off a hugely successful trip, winning the competition and picking up dreamy boyfriends (including future *Chicago Fire* star Jesse Spencer!) in the process.

1. Passport to Paris (1999)

Brocker Way as Jean, Mary-Kate Olsen as Mel Porter, Ethan Peck as Michel, and Ashley Olsen as Ally Porter in 'Passport to Paris'.

Hollyridge Productions/Courtesy Everett

The quintessential Mary-Kate and Ashley video, *Passport to Paris* hit Blockbuster Videos nationwide in 1999. The Olsens starred as Mel and Ally Porter, two teens who are horrified to learn that they will be missing their highly anticipated spring break full of pool parties in favor of a trip to Paris. They manage to escape the boring schedule of their ambassador grandfather (Peter White) and meet two French boys, Jean (Brocker Way) and Michel (*Star Trek: Strange New Worlds*' Ethan Peck). The charming movie ends with the girls bonding with their grandfather and giving one killer presentation on the importance of clean water (but of course!).

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Source: Movies

Published: November 19, 2025 at 01:38PM on Source: MARIO MAG

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