Planet of the Apes (franchise)
| Planet of the Apes | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Franklin J. Schaffner (POTA '68) Ted Post (Beneath) Don Taylor (Escape) J. Lee Thompson (Conquest–Battle) Tim Burton (POTA '01) Rupert Wyatt (Rise) |
| Produced by | Arthur P. Jacobs (POTA '68–Battle) Richard D. Zanuck (POTA '01) Peter Chernin Dylan Clark Rick Jaffa Amanda Silver (Rise) |
| Screenplay by | Michael Wilson Rod Serling (POTA '68) Paul Dehn (Beneath–Conquest) John William Corrington Joyce Hooper Corrington (Battle) William Broyles, Jr. Lawrence Konner Mark Rosenthal (POTA '01) Rick Jaffa Amanda Silver (Rise) |
| Story by | Paul Dehn Mort Abrahams (Beneath) Paul Dehn (Battle) |
| Based on | Planet of the Apes by Pierre Boulle |
| Music by | Jerry Goldsmith (POTA '68, Escape) Leonard Rosenman (Beneath, Battle) Tom Scott (Conquest) Danny Elfman (POTA '01) Patrick Doyle (Rise) |
| Studio | 20th Century Fox |
| Release date(s) | 1968–2014 |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $207,800,000 |
| Box office | $925,320,856 |
Planet of the Apes is an American media franchise[1] comprising seven films (one a remake, one a reboot[2]), two television series (one animated), and various comic books. The series began with the 1968 science fiction film Planet of the Apes, which was based on the 1963 French novel La Planète des singes (Planet of the Apes or Monkey Planet) by Pierre Boulle.
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Background [edit]
The original series of five films (1968–1973) were produced by Arthur P. Jacobs, based on Boulle's original novel premise, and released by 20th Century Fox. They chronicle the fall of humanity and the rise of intelligent apes through the points of view of astronaut George Taylor (Charlton Heston), astronaut John Brent (James Franciscus), the apes Zira (Kim Hunter) and Cornelius (Roddy McDowall), and their ape son Caesar (also played by McDowall). The first film was co-written by Rod Serling, creator of The Twilight Zone and Night Gallery.
In 1974, in preparation for the premiere of the Planet of the Apes television series, 20th Century Fox re-released the five theatrical films and called it the "Go Ape" marathon. The advertising campaign's major image featured a nondescript Ape pointing out to the viewer with the slogan "20th Century Fox Wants YOU to GO APE!", aping James Montgomery Flagg's famous Uncle Sam "I Want You for U.S. Army" poster. The marathon package was released with a PG rating, completely due to the MPAA rating that was given to "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes" (All other films in the original Ape series had been rated G.)
This was followed by two television series in the 1970s. The live-action series was called Planet of the Apes,that premiered on Sept. 13, 1974. The series takes place approximately 900 years prior to the original Planet of the Apes film featuring a civilization where apes are the dominant life form, but humans still have the ability to speak. The animated series Return to the Planet of the Apes, that premiered on Sept. 6, 1975, was independent of the film series. Both series spun off a variety of tie-in toys.[3] Both series were cancelled after one season.
In 2001, a remake of the original Planet of the Apes was released. Directed by Tim Burton, the film featured an entirely new interpretation of Boulle's novel and state-of-the-art visual effects and makeup for the apes.[citation needed]
In 2011, 20th Century Fox produced a reboot to the original series, called Rise of the Planet of the Apes, directed by Rupert Wyatt. The film stars James Franco and tells the story of an ape rebellion on Earth, led by a genetically-altered chimpanzee named Caesar (Andy Serkis). It is intended to be the first in a new series of films.[2] The sequel to Rise, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, will be released on May 23, 2014, with Matt Reeves directing and Serkis reprising his role.[4]
Films [edit]
| Film | Release date | Rotten Tomatoes Rating | Gross | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Planet of the Apes (1968) | February 8, 1968 | 89%[5] | $32,589,624[6] | $5,400,000 |
| Beneath the Planet of the Apes | May 27, 1970 | 41%[7] | $18,999,718[8] | $3,000,000 |
| Escape from the Planet of the Apes | May 21, 1971 | 78%[9] | $12,348,905[10] | $2,500,000 |
| Conquest of the Planet of the Apes | June 29, 1972 | 44%[11] | $9,700,000[12] | $1,800,000 |
| Battle for the Planet of the Apes | June 15, 1973 | 38%[13] | $8,844,595[14] | $1,700,000 |
| Planet of the Apes (2001) | July 27, 2001 | 45%[15] | $362,211,740[16] | $100,000,000 |
| Rise of the Planet of the Apes | August 5, 2011 | 83%[17] | $481,800,873[18] | $93,000,000 |
| Dawn of the Planet of the Apes | May 23, 2014 |
Television [edit]
- Planet of the Apes (1974)
- Return to the Planet of the Apes (1975) (episodes)
Characters [edit]
Print [edit]
- La Planète des singes, (Monkey Planet or Planet of the Apes, in English), a 1963 French science fiction novel by Pierre Boulle that inspired the Planet of the Apes franchise
- Planet of the Apes: The Fall (2002), a novel by William T. Quick that serves as a prequel to the Planet of the Apes film
- Colony (2003),[19] the sequel to William T. Quick's 2002 novel
- Conspiracy of the Planet of the Apes (2011), illustrated novel by Andrew E. C. Gaska, based on a story by Gaska, Rich Handley and Christian Berntsen, set in the same universe as the iconic 1968 film
- Planet of the Apes comic books
[edit]
Icarus [edit]
Icarus is the fan-given name for the spacecraft in Planet of the Apes (1968), designed by art director William Creber. Similar spaceships, but with different doors and interiors, appear in Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970), Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971), and the first episode of the Planet of the Apes (1974) television series. It also makes a cameo via news feed in Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011). Although unnamed in the films and the scripts, the name Icarus, coined by a fan named Larry Evans in 1972, was used by some toy model companies, then later in the Mr. Comics' miniseries Revolution on the Planet of the Apes; however, none of these can be considered "canonical" sources. However, the film Rise of the Planet of the Apes did eventually utilize the name officially. Evans named the ship after the tragic Greek hero.[20]
Forbidden Zone [edit]
The Forbidden Zone in the Planet of the Apes movie series is the barren, lifeless area declared off-limits to all apes. While most apes do not know the precise reasons why the area is forbidden, it is generally understood to be a wasteland, one fit only for humans, outlaws, and fools. According to the secret scrolls available only to the senior orangutan clergy, the Forbidden Zone "was once a paradise" and humans "made a desert out of it"[21] as the result of a nuclear war which occurs off-screen in-between Conquest of the Planet of the Apes and Battle for the Planet of the Apes.[22] To the apes' general public, however, the Forbidden Zone is forbidden simply because their ancient Lawgiver forbade it. In the first two films, the Forbidden Zone is the post-apocalyptic ruins of New York City, populated by telepathic human mutants whose Méndez religion seated at St. Patrick's Cathedral centres around the Alpha Omega bomb capable of burning the atmosphere and thus instantly destroying all life on Earth. The city depicted whole in Conquest of the Planet of the Apes and as a nuclear wasteland in Battle for the Planet of the Apes is unspecified although the skyline of Century City district of Los Angeles is prominently featured and no New York landmarks are seen; despite this, Battle ends with Méndez's creation of the mutants' religion around the atom bomb. The television series' forbidden city is set in the San Francisco Bay Area and, although in ruins, the city lacks telepathic mutants and the Méndez holy fallout religion. In the third episode the characters venture through a BART tunnel and see advertisements for San Francisco attractions.
References [edit]
- ^ "Those Damned Dirty Apes!". www.mediacircus.net. Retrieved 2011-05-25.
- ^ a b "Collider Visits The Set of RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES; Plus Video Blog". Lussier, Germain. (April 14, 2011). Collider.com. Retrieved 2011-06-13.
- ^ http://www.toysyouhad.com/Apes.htm
- ^ Matt Reeves Confirmed to Helm ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’
- ^ Rating for Planet of the Apes (1968)
- ^ Total Domestic Gross for Planet of the Apes (1968)
- ^ Rating for Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970)
- ^ Total Domestic Gross for Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970)
- ^ Rating for Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971)
- ^ Total Domestic Gross for Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971)
- ^ Rating for Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)
- ^ Total Domestic Gross for Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)
- ^ Rating for Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973)
- ^ Total Domestic Gross for Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973)
- ^ Rating for Planet of the Apes (2001)
- ^ Total Domestic Gross for Planet of the Apes (2001)
- ^ "Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved August 5, 2011.
- ^ Total Domestic Gross for Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
- ^ William T. Quick (2003). Colony. HarperEntertainment. ISBN 0060086211.
- ^ "Top 75 spaceships in movies and TV part 2". http://www.denofgeek.com. Retrieved 2011-05-31.
- ^ Quoting Dr. Zaius' statements to Col. Taylor at Dr. Cornelius' archaeological cave in Planet of the Apes.
- ^ The Lawgiver's narration at the start of Battle for the Planet of the Apes, and discussed by many characters in that film.
Further reading [edit]
- Handley, Rich (2009). Timeline of the Planet of the Apes. Hasslein Books. ISBN 978-0615253923. Includes cover gallery.
External links [edit]
- Dale Winogura (Summer 1972). "Special Planet of the Apes Series Issue - Interviews & Set Visit". Cinefantastique.
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