Road to War for the Planet of the Apes

The latest installment in the Planet of the Apes franchise hits theaters this weekend. To celebrate we look back at the franchise of the apes.

The concept behind the Planet of the Apes film series originally began as the French novel La Planète des Singes by Pierre Boulle. This novel has mostly faded into obscurity and been overtaken by the film franchise.

The first film was Planet of the Apes and released in 1968. Out of any film the franchise has ever released, this is by far the most well-known, if only for its iconic ending, where Charlton Heston finds a wrecked Statue of Liberty, realizing that the planet of the apes he landed on was Earth all along. Planet of the Apes was followed by four sequels: Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970), Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971), Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972), and Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973). The sequels received mixed reception. None were well-received critically or commercially, but the franchise gained a strong cult following, so the franchise owners brought the property to TV with the live-action Planet of the Apes (1974) and the animated Return to the Planet of the Apes (1975).

The franchise laid dormant for a couple decades. Attempts were made in the 1990s to bring the franchise back. After the success of Star Wars–Episode I: The Phantom Menace in 1999, interest in other veteran sci-fi franchises emerged, and thus a remake was greenlit. Tim Burton directed Planet of the Apes (2001), a much more faithfully retelling of Pierre Boulle’s original novel. The make-up effects for the Apes were considered revolutionary for the time. Charlton Heston even cameos as a “damned dirty Ape.” However, with a weak story, this remake failed at the box office and overall was considered a low-point in the franchise.

With a weak remake, the franchise was all but dead. Thus, absolutely no one was craving another Planet of the Apes movie. However, Fox was desperate for brand recognition and a new hit property so the studio greenlit….

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (2001)

The first in a new series that can be described as “half-prequel, half-reboot.” While in the originals, a nuclear attack was the cause of mankind’s destruction, here we have a genetically-engineered virus that gives apes intelligence but is lethal to humans. In a nod to the original series, Andy Serkis plays Caesar, the leader of the Ape Rebellion. This is the first film in the franchise where no makeup or prosthetics are involved. All the Apes are CGI-rendered, created by WETA Digital, the same studio that created Avatar. This film received 81% on Rotten Tomatoes and earned nearly $500 million worldwide, breathing new life into the franchise. Fox immedately began work on a sequel.

DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (2014)

A sequel to a prequel. Humanity is nearly extinct and what little is left doesn’t like the idea of intelligent apes. Some of the apes too think all humans are evil and seek to kill the humans before the humans can kill the apes. What follows is the beginning of the Human-Ape War, and honestly, the best Planet of the Apes since the 1968 original. Dawn received positive reviews in its release, gaining a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes and earned $700 million worldwide.

WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES (2017)

The end of the rebooted prequel trilogy comes to theaters this weekend. It has already gotten a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. Will it truly be the end or will the franchise continue after this? Only time (and money) will tell.

Have you seen War for the Planet of the Apes yet? What did you think? Let us know in the comments below!