The series began with French author Pierre Boulle's 1963 novel La Planète des singes. [173] The phrase "planet of the apes" has been used for an overturning of the political or racial status quo. Much of the negative commentary focused on the confusing plot and twist ending, though many reviewers praised the special effects. Directed by Rupert Wyatt. A sequel to the movie, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, was released on July 11, 2014.A third movie, War of the Plant of the Apes was scheduled for release on July 14, 2017. It is one of several of Boulle's works to use science fiction tropes and plot devices to comment on the failings of human nature and mankind's overreliance on technology, though Boulle rejected the science fiction label, instead terming his genre "social fantasy". What order should you watch every Marvel movie and TV show? The tight schedule meant that all stages of production were rushed. [137] Andy Serkis' digital effects company The Imaginarium worked on the game and Serkis performed motion capture. [154][155], The Cold War and the threat of nuclear holocaust are major themes introduced in Rod Serling's original Planet of the Apes script. But with nine films all similarly named, it can get really confusing trying to figure out the best order to watch them all. The story's central message is that human intelligence is not a fixed quality and could atrophy if taken for granted. [66] In their script, humanity is threatened by an ailment encoded in their DNA, so two scientists go back in time thousands of years to stop it at its origin. The franchise is based on French author Pierre Boulle's 1963 novel La Planète des singes, translated into English as Planet of the Apes or Monkey Planet. Join for a free month. [136] In 2017, Fox commissioned an adventure game to accompany War for the Planet of the Apes called Planet of the Apes: Last Frontier. [151], Several critics have written that the reboot films downplay this theme from the original series, removing the racial subtext of conflict between humans and apes. [51], As well as their profitable returns at the box office, the films earned very high ratings on television after their theatrical runs. Get unlimited DVD Movies & TV Shows delivered to your door with no late fees, ever. [165] The live-action television series was reformatted into five TV movies for further broadcast in 1981[57] and the Sci-Fi Channel ran both it and the cartoon series in the 1990s. What is the best order to watch the Terminator movies and TV show? Dehn immediately started work on what became Escape from the Planet of the Apes. At a Fox executive's invitation, Rifkin pitched a concept for Return to the Planet of the Apes, an alternative sequel to Planet that ignored the other four films. After encountering the apes from the first film, Brent finds Taylor imprisoned by a colony of subterranean human mutants who worship an ancient nuclear bomb. The network considered producing a second three-episode season to complete the story, but this never materialized. Directed by Franklin J Schaffner, it follows three astronauts as they awake from a crash landing on a mysterious planet. Pick your movies, watch when you want, return, and repeat. The evolved primates develop advanced intelligence and revolt against being used as lab rats. The series' themes and imagery have been invoked in political discussions on topics as varied as 1960s culture, urban decay, contemporary wars, and gun violence.[177]. [91], Fox was confident enough in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes that the studio started planning for the next installment months before the film debuted. [44] The filmmakers went into the project knowing that it would be the end of the series. The goriest scenes are of a man who's electrocuted (he's hosed down as he turns an electric stunning device on), a police officer who's thrown off a bridge by a gorilla, and a man plummeting into the water from a falling helicopter. [31] Fox gave the production a greatly diminished budget of $2.5 million, which required a tight production schedule. For more details on the reception of each film, see the "Reception" section in each film's article, acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney, Star Trek/Planet of the Apes: The Primate Directive, "Vulture Exclusive: Fox's Planet of the Apes Reboot of the Reboot Is Back On", "So What The Hell Is 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes'? The show did not achieve particularly strong ratings. Stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Eddie Redmayne share their 5 reasons not to miss The Trial of the Chicago 7 on Netflix. After the Vietnam war, a team of scientists explores an uncharted island in the Pacific, venturing into the domain of the mighty Kong, and must fight to escape a primal Eden. [34], Compared to its predecessors, Escape dwelt more heavily on themes of racial conflict, which became a primary focus through the rest of the series. One month free trial! [26], The story follows Franciscus' character, an astronaut who, while searching for Taylor, inadvertently follows him into the future. Animal equality is brought up via both the character of Caesar, who's of superior intelligence to his human age-counterparts, and the misery of the apes held imprisoned in the animal shelter. Another Language includes one use of "s--t," plus infrequent use of "hell," "ass," "goddamn," and "damn" (as in the famous line: "Get your damn paws off me, you damned dirty ape"). Stone brought in Terry Hayes as screenwriter and they developed a script titled Return of the Apes.