Planet of the Apes (2001)
Where to Watch
- Before Mark Wahlberg was cast, several major A-list stars turned down the lead role because they felt the script was too risky.
- The incredible score for Planet of the Apes was composed in just a few weeks after the original composer dropped out.
- Tim Burton originally wanted a completely different ending for the film, but test audiences preferred the one we see today.
Planet of the Apes is a 2001 American science fiction film directed by Tim Burton, a reimagining of the 1968 classic. Mark Wahlberg stars as Captain Leo Davidson, a U.S. Air Force astronaut who crash-lands on a planet where intelligent, talking apes enslave primitive, mute humans.
Unlike the original's gradual revelation of the planet's true nature, Burton's version featured apes who wore ornate armor, lived in elaborate cities, and debated the political implications of human rights โ with Tim Roth's General Thade as a terrifyingly aggressive military leader and Helena Bonham Carter's Ari as an ape civil rights activist who sympathizes with humans. Tim Burton's production design, particularly Rick Baker's extraordinary prosthetic ape makeup that allowed actors to convey subtle emotional expressions through layers of latex, was the film's most praised element. The controversial twist ending โ a variation on the original's famous Statue of Liberty reveal โ confused and frustrated many audiences.
Planet of the Apes earned $362 million worldwide on a $100 million budget.
