About a decade ago Andy Serkis played the title role in Peter Jackson's redo of "King Kong". Since then he's done pretty well going ape for POTA. Now there's a new Kong on the block (for next March's "Kong: Skull Island") but Andy won't be reprising the role. Instead Kong will be a combination of ape movement expert Terry Notary (POTA's Rocket) and Toby Kebbell (Koba). Of course he will be CG. Kebbel will also play an Air Force major in the film (the movie is set during the Vietnam War).

With this, "Tarzan", POTA, the various "Jungle Book"s and possible sequels, the cinema is getting an ape workout these days. And it can only help improve the apes for the betterment of POTA (and mankind).

imdb.com/title/tt3731562

joblo.com/movie-news/toby-kebbell-reveals-who-will-be-playing-king-kong-in-kong-skull-island-965

Disney's live-action version of their "Jungle Book" cartoon is one of the biggest successes of the year, but down the road we will also get Andy Serkis' "Jungle Book" (10/19/18). But don't look for a carbon copy. Serkis sez: "Ours is for a slightly older audience… more a kind of "Apes" movie, a slightly darker take, closer to Rudyard Kipling's… it's about 2 different species and their laws and customs and neither are entirely right".

"Jungle Book" was supposed to be Serkis' directorial debut, and technically it is since it's already in the can, but it's post-production pushes it out of range. Instead Serkis' debut will be the soon to film "Breathe", which he calls "a polio comedy" (and probably won't take nearly as long to reach theaters). He was also planning to film the classic "Animal Farm", which got a nod in the original POTA movie. Hopefully it will still happen. "Jungle Book" and "Animal Farm" would be an interesting double feature from the same director, especially a director so identified with POTA (could a Serkis-helmed "Apes" movie make it a trilogy?).

vulture.com/2016/05/andy-serkis-jungle-book-will-be-scary-quite-dark.html

I got an e-mail from Eric Greene reminding me of the POTA screenings in July and I realized that this year is two decades since his book "Planet of the Apes as American Myth" was published. Twenty years ago POTA was rockin' for me as I helped him promote it and became friends with folks like Booth Colman, Buck Kartalian and Ron Harper. It was also the year the Simpsons parody came out ("chimpan-A to chimpan-Z"). That year I got to be an ape under the expertise of Bill Blake. And I was still trippin' with the idea that Oliver Stone might direct a new movie (ultimately done by Tim Burton).

POTA never seemed to get the mainstream longevity that "Star Trek" and "Star Wars" did but it definitely seemed headed for a comeback. We take that for granted now but Eric's book was the first giant step for Apekind, getting reviewed in "Entertainment Weekly" and other places. I believe it was the first book about POTA (am I wrong?) and many others have followed since then.

Not all fans agreed with Eric's approach but I think it's a thoughtful, relevant angle. It looks at POTA in a unique way and resonated with many. Eric was invited to participate in documentaries (I think Eric's comments added so much to them) and it even was an inspiration to the new Ape filmmakers. Andy Serkis read it and thanked Eric for writing it (lest anyone thinks Andy isn't a true believer).

I'm so pleased with the POTA books we've had since and Eric blazed the trail. It was my joy to be a part of it.

20^th Century Fox has announced that Stacey Snider will become head of the movie studio in June 2017, as Jim Gianopulos moves elsewhere in the company. Gianopulos ran Fox with Tom Rothman from 2000 to 2012 and continued by his lonesome until 2014 when Snider was brought in as sidekick. Soon it will be Snider's show.

So… will her leadership provide better, more challenging movies (*cough* Apes *cough *). Dunno, but she's said to be good with material and filmmakers (i.e. the creative elements). She ran Universal from 1999 to 2006 and then ran Dreamworks with Steven Spielberg from 2006 to 2014 (Spielberg doesn't suffer fools gladly). It remains to be seen but really this is the first changing of the guard in a decade and a ½ (Fox is pretty loyal and promotes from within).

I hope Apes and Fox movies in general benefit.

deadline.com/2016/06/jim-gianopulos-stacey-snider-fox-executive-changes-1201773922

"War For the POTA" releases on 7/14/17 (unless it changes), suggesting we have one year to go. What does that have to do with the price of Donald Trump's wall? Nothing. But I reckon it's a milestone.

Also adding to the festivities is that 7/18/16 is the day the apes rise (according to the newspaper in "Rise"). Is it a coincidence that it's also the start of the GOP convention. That's 4 you to decide.

Plan your CG ape insanity accordingly.

Alamo Drafthouse will be showing the original POTA on August 30 ^th with unique goodies available, including a "Make America Ape Again" (with apologies to Donald Trump) T-shirt free with admish. Looks like it will be at all their locations (mostly in Texas).

The Drafthouse is known for their limited edish stuff like posters, a magazine and more. They are famously a theater chain that doesn't just take your ticket.

A quick perusal shows theaters in: Ashburn, Austin, Charlottesville, Corpus Christi, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Denver, El Paso, Houston, Kalamazoo, Kansas City, Laredo, Los Angeles, Lubbock, New Braunfels, Omaha, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Francisco, Springfield, Winchester and Yonkers.

drafthouse.com/lubbock/show/planet-of-the-apes

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The last few years have seen the return of Charlton Heston's 3 most famous stories. Of course POTA is back big time. The makers of the new POTA did the Moses story with Fox (starring Christian Bale - - - though shouldn't it have been Jewish Bale?). And this week will see the encore of Heston's Oscar-winning role, "Ben Hur".

This time it's Jack Huston (grandson of John Huston, the greatest ape of all, our Lawgiver) in the lead and featuring Toby "Koba" Kebbell as his best friend turned worst enemy Messala. Plus a cameo by none other than Jesus Christ.

Will it be good? Dunno, but it's a nice break from the samey same summer movie schedule. Long live Heston's legacy.

So are we ever going to get a teaser trailer of "War 4 the POTA"? No, we aren't.

Well, maybe. A good candidate is the end of September when Fox/Chernin release "Miss Peregrine" (Sept. 30; basically a Tim Burton "X-Men" movie, though unofficially).

Then again, the Ape movies have been hitching their wagon to "The Walking Dead" lately (Season 7 premieres Oct. 23) so could it be then?

All I know is the summer movie season is pretty much over (better luck next time, studios) which means the POTA summer comes next (plus the return of "Twin Peaks" but that's beside the point).

It's time to give us something, anything.

The tippet top of Fox is about to get prettier. Fox has announced that after 16 years in charge Jim Gianopulos will leave early. Stacey Snider takes over as of Sept. 1 (or as Aboro would say, "Effective immediately…"). Just in time for an Apes teaser. It's a new era at Fox and hopefully a successful Ape era as well. Good luck to Jim and Stacey!

deadline.com/2016/08/jim-gianopulos-early-leave-20^th-century-fox-1201807724

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It's the golden anniversary of perhaps the most iconic sci-fi franchise of all time. For many people science fiction is easily represented by Spock's ears or speaking Klingon or the "Starship Enterprise boldly going". It was one of the first mass pop culture items to treat science fiction with respect and could be said to have pushed fandom and "geek love" into the modern era. It's fans (whether Trekkies or Trekkers) are just as iconic, even though it was an acquired taste for the mainstream; this year's "Star Trek Beyond" movie didn't do so hot; though the franchise is scheduled to go home to TV next year.

"Star Trek" was boldly going weekly when the original POTA arrived and of course both are still alive and kicking. Many people are famed from working on both (Mark Lenard, Ricardo Montalban and composers from Jerry Goldsmith to Michael Giacchino, to name a few). And both still inspire people to not just have a couple hours of entertainment but to think about the world (and the universe). They are so connected in my mind, yet they are polar opposites in a way, one hopeful about the future, the other fearful of what we might do to ourselves. And I think both schools of thought are equally valid; it's up to us.

Here's to 50 years. It's been fascinating, captain.

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POTA was spawned during the Cold War when it seemed possible we could end civilization with the push of a nuclear button (the Chuck Heston movie came out a little over 5 years after the Cuban Missile Crisis, the closest we've come to nuclear war). Nukes were in the back of everybody's mind. These days we don't really think about it because, well, we reduced the number of nukes and they are pointed toward the sea in case of accidents (but can be aimed in minutes).

But last night's "60 Minutes" did a story called "The New Cold War" and the more things change, the more they stay the same. According to former Secretary of Defense William Perry, we still have more than enough nukes to end civilization and they are still just minutes from reaching us. As Perry says, "Fundamentally, nothing has changed". I kind of knew that but it's still chilling to hear it as a matter of fact. So while we worry about climate change and Nu Apes uses a virus to reach the same conclusion, the original POTA scenario is still too legit to quit.

Part two of the "60 Minutes" story airs next Sunday.

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After beating expectations with "Rise of the POTA", director Rupert Wyatt should be on everybody's short list as a blockbuster director. But he's gone a quieter way. He did "The Gambler" with POTA2001 star Mark Wahlberg but mostly he went the TV route, directing the pilot episodes of AMC's "Turn" and now "The Exorcist" on Fox.

The original "Exorcist" movie (which came out the same year as "Battle For the POTA") was a sensation in the '70's, joining "The Godfather", "Jaws" and "Star Wars" in making more money than the industry thought possible and kicking off the blockbuster mentality (for better or worse).

Now Wyatt is back on redo duty and his pilot is getting good reviews. It stars a favorite of mine, Geena Davis, and runs with the "Exorcist" idea instead of just remaking it. Wyatt sez "it was really the script that attracted me… (There can be) many, many different perspectives on the same story… it can be entirely justified and a really exciting piece of work".

It hits Fox tonight so check it out or record it if you're so inclined.

Wyatt's next movie looks to be the sci-fier "Captive State".

www.assignmentx.com/2016/the-exorcist-director-rupert-wyatt-gives-the-scoop-on-new-fox-horror-series-exclusive-interview/

50 years ago today (according to Heston's diary) Fox gave the greenlight to the original POTA. It took forever as Arthur Jacobs and Mort Abrahams jumped through hoops (including the famed Edward G. Robinson makeup test). But it wuz worth it. Apparently the success of "Fantastic Voyage" saved the day.

Next summer's "War For the POTA" will premiere the first footage at New York Comic Con on Oct. 6 with director Matt Reeves, star Andy Serkis and producer Dylan Clarke in attendance. Will we get a teaser trailer thereabouts? Dunno, but Nu Apes' favorite showcase, "The Walking Dead" premieres it's new season soon.

Fox also provided a synopsis for the movie. Sounds like Caesar's in a bad way, as he "wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind. Sounds bad for Caesar, good for us!

collider.com/war-for-the-planet-of-the-apes-synopsis

But in the Age of the Internet we'll probably hear what gives. Maybe a video of the panel. And if they give us a teaser trailer, it's all good without the crowds. In any case, Woody Harrelson is going dooown!

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I thought for sure we'd get a teaser with the big Fox/Chernin movie "Miss Peregrine". "Walking Dead" returns Oct. 23. If they have enough footage for a presentation, they have enough for a teaser. >: (

Pretty sure Andy's role in Ep. 8 will be expanded so he might be there. Can see a Luke/Rey, Snoke/Kylo dual training happening.

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Jane Goodall probably needs no introduction to those interested in the world of real apes. A new documentary about her has just been announced from the director of the Kurt Cobain doc "Montage of Heck". Not only that but the music is by Phillip Glass and the producer is Bryan Burke, longtime friend and collaborator with current POTA director Matt Reeves ("Cloverfield"). Sounds like an interesting team that is going to make the doc different from the usual.

The project wuz just announced today so we'll see how it goes.

collider.com/philip-glass-jane-goodall-documentary-brett-morgen