Curiosities | The acclaimed dystopian sci-fi “Planet of the Apes: The Clash” turns 8!

When director Rupert Wyatt announced he would return to explore the iconic dystopian world of “Planet of the Apes” in 2011, we couldn’t help but be a little hesitant – especially given the lopsided titles that have already made part of the saga.

However, the result went far beyond expectations, winning over audiences and critics around the world. It didn’t take long for Warner Bros. invest in the sequels of an unexpected franchise, hiring Matt Reeves (“The Batman”) to direct the upcoming “Planet of the Apes: The Showdown.” Like the original Chapter, the feature was popular with pundits and grossed over $710 million at the worldwide box office, earning accolades for its direction, storytelling, and cast performances.

Winner of an Academy Award nomination for Best Visual Effects, the story is set ten years after the simian flu wiped out much of humanity. Caesar (Andy Serkis), along with the other monkeys who have won their longed-for freedom, live in the forest near San Francisco. There they have developed their own community, based on mutual support, as humans struggle to stay alive. Without electricity, a group of survivors plans to invade the forest and reactivate the power plant installed there. Malcolm (Jason Clarke), the only one who knows the monkeys well, tries to act peacefully and prevent the confrontation from happening.

To celebrate its recent eight-year anniversary, CinePOP has compiled a list of several behind-the-scenes trivia from the film, which you can check out below:

James Franco starred in the first chapter of the trilogy, “Planet of the Apes: Inception”, as Will Rodman, but did not return for the sequel. In ‘The Showdown’, there are two clues that indicate your character’s fate: when Caesar returns to the house where he lived, you can see a large “X” symbol on the door. Usually this means that someone living there is infected – so it is assumed that they were one of the first to die from the plague. Also, Will’s jeep is still parked in front of the house, covered in weeds and overgrowth. If Will had left the house, he would have taken the car. The orangutan that appears in the film is called Maurice, after Maurice Evans. Evans brought the orangutan Dr. Zaius to life in “Planet of the Apes” (1968) and “Return to the Planet of the Apes” (1970).

The book Alexander (Kodi Smit-McPhee) shares with Maurice is “Black Hole” by Charles Burns. The tale functions as a fantasy allegory about sexually transmitted infections among American teenagers that turn them into exiles. The book bears several similarities to the franchise, including the fact that the exiles live in the forest, separated from the rest of the world. According to Reeves, the original production draft, which was written before he was hired, was set even farther into the future, where the monkeys had acquired the ability to speak fluently. However, Reeves thought it would be more interesting to explore Caesar’s arc at an earlier stage, asking permission to rewrite the script from scratch. The request was accepted, on the condition that the film be completed within the pre-established schedule.

FUN WATCH: During the apes’ attack on the human settlement, a huge gorilla throws a flaming barrel. The sequel pays homage to the classic video game series called “Donkey Kong”. It was the seventh motion capture film Serkis had worked on. Between 2001 and 2014, the actor gave life to several iconic pop culture characters, including Gollum in ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and Caesar in the trilogy in question. This is the first time in the franchise that monkeys are portrayed as omnivores. They are seen hunting one each (a species of deer) at the beginning of the film and later they can be seen eating the animal.

The name Blue Eyes was given to Caesar’s son for being the first of his generation to be born without the chemicals that turned other monkeys’ eyes green when trapped in the lab. Despite a brief video appearance, Franco had no involvement or knowledge of this involvement. The video in question had been saved from the recordings of ‘Inception’. In an interview, Franco commented, “Wait, do I have an appearance? I didn’t even know that. You know, I don’t think they even asked my permission.” Be sure to watch: