Vintage 1960s Movies Planet of the Apes

 

Planet of the Apes

 

Planet of the Apes is an American science fiction media franchise

consisting of films, books, television series, comics, and other media revolving around a world in which humans and intelligent apes clash for control. The franchise is based on French author Pierre Boulle's 1963 novel La Planete des singles, translated into English as Planet of the Apes or Monkey Planet. Its 1968 film adaptation, Planet of the Apes, was a critical and commercial hit.

          An astronaut crew crash-lands on a planet in the distant future where intelligent, talking apes are the dominant species and humans are the oppressed and enslaved.

          Four sequels followed the original film from 1970 to 1973: Beneath the Planet of the Apes, Escape from the Planet of the Apes, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes and Battle for the Planet of the Apes. Also, two television series in 1974 and 1975 were made. Plans for a film remake stalled in"developmental hell" for over ten years before Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes was released in 2001. What followed was a film series in 2011 with Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which was followed by Dawn of the Planet of the Apes in 2014 and War for the Planet of the Apes in 2017. Franchise tie-ins include video games, toys, and planned theme park rides.

          Planet of the Apes has received particular attention among film critics for its treatment of racial and cultural issues. Cinema and cultural analysts have also explored its Cold War and animal rights themes.

 

An added note

The series began with French author Pierre Boulle's  1963 novel La Planete des singes. Boulle wrote the novel in six months after the "humanlike expressions" of gorillas at the zoo inspired him to contemplate the relationship between man and ape.  He rejected the science fiction label, instead, he called his genre "social fantasy".