~ RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES – Domestic Total as of Aug. 16, 2011: $112,340,822

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES – A single act of both compassion and arrogance

Starring: James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Brian Cox, Tom Felton, and Andy Serkis
Directed By: Rupert Wyatt
Produced By:Peter Chernin, Dylan Clark, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver

The Oscar-winning visual effects team that brought to life the worlds of Avatar and Lord of the Rings is breaking new ground, creating a CGI ape that delivers a dramatic performance of unprecedented emotion and intelligence, and epic battles on which rest the upended destinies of man and primate.

Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes
(20th Century Fox)
Release: 08/05/2011
Genre: Sci-Fi Action
Rating: PG-13

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES is an origin story in the truest sense of the term. Set in present day San Francisco, the film is a reality-based cautionary tale, a science fiction/science fact blend, where man’s experiments with genetic engineering lead to the development of intelligence in apes and the onset of a war for supremacy.

“This is a contemporary view of the Planet of the Apes mythology,” says producer Dylan Clark. “It’s a big event movie, but is anchored by the quality of its storytelling, its emotion, and the depth of its characters. At its heart, it’s a character-driven piece.”

The film’s emotional core was a principal draw for the actors, including John Lithgow. “It’s very unusual to have a big science fiction film with a foundation in human emotion and conflict,” says the Oscar nominated actor. “I was amazed by the script’s emotional authenticity. This film takes audiences’ expectations and turns them on their head.”

Much like its storied predecessor, the original Planet of the Apes, the new film uses the science fiction genre to explore bigger worlds and ideas. “Is about our civilization reaching a point of no return,” says director Rupert Wyatt. “Events unfold through the eyes of Caesar, a super-intelligent chimpanzee who at a young age sees humans as being capable of wonderful things, like art and reason. And then he begins to see humanity’s dark side – oppression, bigotry, and the ostracizing of what and who we don’t understand.”

RICE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES w/ Director comments

Another key theme is humanity’s hubris – our arrogance in thinking that we can twist, push, cheat, or circumvent the laws of nature, without consequences. “In the original Planet of the Apes, it was man’s hubris that got the character of Col. Taylor [portrayed by Charlton Heston] on that beach, facing the Statue of Liberty and the stunning reality of humanity’s destiny,” writer-producer Rick Jaffa points out. “It wasn’t a quirk of fate or a mutation that that led to that upside-down world.” So, too, does RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES pit humans against nature – and against themselves – leading to a resolution that sees humans and apes on the path that will take them to a new and shocking world order.