The Planet Of The Apes prequel series surprised just about everyone. When Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes was announced, the internet was awash with cynicism and ridicule. When it landed it was just good, it was really, really good. Not bad for a movie directed by the ex-director of British teen soap opera Hollyoaks.
When Matt Reeves stepped into the directors big shoes for Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes and War For The Planet Of The Apes the movies added another layer of detail and spectacle, seemingly charting a clear course back towards the Charlton Heston movie from 1968. That, we thought, was that.
Well, not any longer. Doing something with The Planet Of The Apes franchise has been high priority for Disney ever since it acquired Fox, as its an IP that has $$$ potential. Plot specifics about the next chapter are under wraps, but The Maze Runner trilogy director Wes Ball has been attached since 2019 and delivered a script earlier this summer.
Casting has been underway since June. Now Owen Teague (IT, The Stand) has been set to play the lead primate while the search is continues for the human lead.
Apparently Teague was seriously impressive in his screen tests so the offer was fast. They are aiming to have the movie in production before the end of this year.
The Planet Of The Apes story itself did not begin with the Heston movie. La Planète des singes, known as Planet of the Apes in the US and Monkey Planet in the UK, is a 1963 science fiction novel by French author Pierre Boulle. It was not translated into English until a few years after publication.
In the story a rich couple sailing alone in space, Jinn and Phyllis, rescue and translate a manuscript from a floating bottle. The manuscript was written by journalist Ulysse Mérou, who in 2500 was invited by wealthy Professor Antelle to accompany him and his disciple, physician Arthur Levain, to Betelgeuse. Because they travel close to the speed of light, time dilation causes centuries to pass on Earth during their two years in transit.
The climax of the novel is much more in line with the ending of the Tim Burton adaption that starred Mark Wahlberg than it is with the Heston version, only with landmarks replaced with Parisian points of interest.
Check back every day for new content at Last Movie Outpost.
To like us on Facebook Click Here
To follow us on Twitter Click Here
See our YouTube channel Click Here
