Long before thePlanet of the Apesreboot series, and even beforeTim Burton’s controversial 2001 remake, there was a time when director Oliver Stone was going to directPlanet of the Apes -and it was weird. Oliver Stone is an American director who has led movies such asPlatoon, JFK,andBorn on the Fourth of July.Stone has enjoyed a very long and industrious career both as a director and an executive producer. Thus, it isn’t entirely a surprise thatStone was chosen for thePlanet of the Apesfranchise, despite his strange concept.
During the 1980s and 1990s, Fox was eager to revive thePlanet of the Apesfranchise. For context, theoriginalPlanet of the Apesmoviesended withBattle for the Planet of the Apesin 1973. In this way, Fox went through a number of different directors and screenwriters searching for the perfect reboot of the popular sci-fi franchise. They eventually ended up picking Tim Burton, whose 2001Planet of the Apeswas considered one of the worst reboots ever. However, there was anotherPlanet of the Apesthat could have happenedduring that time period, and it was spearheaded by Oliver Stone.
Planet Of The Apes: All Movie Timelines Explained
A complete guide to every timeline introduced in the Planet of the Apes franchise, from the original timeline to the prequels' timeline.
Oliver Stone’s Original Planet Of The Apes Movie Idea Was Wild
How Stone’s Planet Of The Apes Compares To Other Ape Movies
In the ’90s, Oliver Stone had an idea for anewPlanet of the Apesmovie. It was calledReturn of the Apes,and copies of the screenplay are even available online for the public to read. According to Stone,Return of the Apescentered on a group of cryogenically frozen apeswho hold numeric codes which, if analyzed with the Bible, will predict the end of civilization. Apparently, Stone liked the idea that the Bible held some secret code that would reveal the end of times, and these frozen apes would miraculously be the key.
Stone’sReturn of the Apesis hilariously odd, even in a franchise that is dependent on the concept of intelligent apes. ThoughPlanet of the Apeshas often cast its animal characters in important roles in society, they have never before been connected to the Bible, or really any religion at all. Furthermore, cryogenically freezing the apes is another detail that feels humorously out of the ordinary for the franchise. Stone’s concept leaves many wondering how the humans come in, and where this reboot connects to past iterations ofPlanet of the Apes.
Terry Hayes' Planet Of The Apes Comes Closer To Franchise Reality
After Oliver Stone pitched his BiblicalPlanet of the Apesconcept, he hired Terry Hayes to write the story. Hayes had previously worked on theMad Maxsequels,The Road WarriorandBeyond Thunderdome.Ultimately,Hayes did not use Stone’s idea of Biblical numeric codesinside frozen apes. Instead, he crafted a story that used ancient religions to pit the past and present against each other, with secrets to be uncovered by the human characters. However, despite how this sounds, Hayes' version ofReturn of the Apeswas somehow even stranger than Stone’s.
Terry Hayes’Return of the Apesbegan with a scene where human babies are dying out from a mysterious disease wherein they are born old.
Terry Hayes’Return of the Apesbegan with a scene where human babies are dying out from a mysterious disease wherein they are born old. Though the babies come out in small baby form, they are covered in wrinkles, and presumably, are many years old. After this first scene, the movie then moves to an old baby autopsy. Overall, this situation is just as odd as Stone’s Bible code concept. Although, in some ways,Hayes got closer to the reality ofPlanet of the Apes,asRise of the Planet of the Apesinstitutesthe Simian Flu.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Was Attached To Star In The Movie
Return Of The Apes' Will Robinson Explained
The cherry on top of Oliver Stone’sReturn of the Apesis that1980s action starArnold Schwarzenegger was set to star as the lead human in the film. DuringReturn of the Apes’development, Schwarzenegger was at the peak of his career. Notably, he had just garnered popularity for his filmsConan the BarbarianandThe Terminator.In this way,Schwarzenegger was the perfect celebrity to throw into this exciting revival. However, it is important to note that the actor’sPlanet of the Apescharacter wasn’t exactly the type of role he usually played at that time.
Arnold Schwarzenegger would go on to play scientists inJuniorandBatman and Robin.
InReturn of the Apes,Schwarzenegger was going to play Will Robinson, a scientist who is trying to solve the mystery of the old baby illness. Robinson believes the disease was placed into human genetics a very long time ago. Thus, he travels back in time and discovers that the world is not ruled by cavemen, but by intelligent talking apes. Ultimately, Robinson discovers that the apes were the ones to implement the old baby disease to wipe out human civilization. This scientific role would have been an interesting turn for Schwarzenegger after mostly playing buff action heroes.
How Return Of The Apes Would Have Changed The Franchise Canon Forever
The Fate Of The Planet Of The Apes Reboot Explained
IfReturn of the Apeshad been made in the 1990s,it would have completely changed the course of thePlanet of the Apesfranchiseas it is known today. Perhaps if the film was poorly made like Tim Burton’sPlanet of the Apeswas, thePlanet of the Apesfranchise would have continued on its path towardsRise of the Planet of the Apes.However, ifReturn of the Apeshad been successful, it seems likely that the 2011 reboot series never would have happened. Instead, audiences would have gotten several more strange Stone and Hayes movies.
Planet of the Apes
1968
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(remake)
2001
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
2011
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
2014
War for the Planet of the Apes
2017
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
2024
Ultimately,it is a good thing thatReturn of the Apesnever happened. Although its quirky plot would likely have been enjoyable to watch, there is a chance that audiences would not have been able to take the story seriously. The movie could have halted thePlanet of the Apesfranchise completely. Overall, it is better that Stone’s reboot never came to be because it resulted in the modern reboot series, which is highly successful and very well-done. WithoutRise of the Planet of the Apesand its sequels, who knows wherePlanet of the Apeswould be today.
Planet of the Apes is a multimedia sci-fi franchise that began in 1963 with Pierre Boulle’s novel, which was later adapted into a film in 1968 starring Charlton Heston. The success of the movie led to four sequels, two TV shows, a remake from Tim Burton, and a reboot trilogy. The Planet of the Apes franchise has also seen success in video games and comic books.
