Planet of the Apes

Planet of the Apes is a novel by Pierre Boulle, originally published in French as La Planète des Singes. As singe means both "ape" and "monkey," Xan Fielding called his translation Monkey Planet. It is an example of social commentary through dystopia.

Related Topics:
Pierre Boulle - French - Singe - Xan Fielding - Dystopia

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Planet of the Apes (1968) was a groundbreaking science fiction film based on Boulle's novel, and was directed by Franklin J. Schaffner and starring Charlton Heston. It was the vision of producer Arthur P. Jacobs, who commissioned Rod Serling to write the script, but the final version would be written by Michael Wilson. Jacobs enlisted Heston (who enlisted Schaffner) well before any production deal was made, and Heston's star status was instrumental in gaining support for the film. They gained the support of Mort Abrams after producing a short film demo which showed that the makeups (created by John Chambers) could be convincing enough to not appear funny, as most "monkey suits" up to that time had.

Related Topics:
Planet of the Apes - 1968 - Franklin J. Schaffner - Charlton Heston - Arthur P. Jacobs - Rod Serling - Michael Wilson - Mort Abrams - John Chambers

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There were four sequels to Schaffner's film, which substantially deviate from the story in Boulle's book:

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• Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970)
• Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971)
• Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)
• Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973)
• Planet of the Apes (2001) was a reinterpretation of the first film directed by Tim Burton and starring Mark Wahlberg and Helena Bonham Carter. Charlton Heston made a cameo.
• There was also a Planet of the Apes TV series and several comic books based on the movies.
• Return to the Planet of the Apes (1975) was an animated series from the 1970s, what some call the silver age of Saturday morning cartoons.
 
Planet of the Apes: Novel Plot summary ►