Rarely does a film with a big box office number not get a sequel. Such is the 2001 reboot, Planet of the Apes, which grossed $180 million worldwide, the second-highest in the franchise, but still is regarded as a failure. It took another decade for a sequel to surface in 2011, with Rise of the Planet of the Apes. This was primarily because Tim Burton tried to reimagine the franchise, and not simply offer the fans a sequel. Even though the film opened big, it didn’t pan out well as fans were utterly displeased with the plot.
Regardless, the star-studded cast was a treat for fans. It starred Mark Wahlberg, Paul Giamatti, and Helena Bonham Carter, among others. Interestingly, Giamatti was particular about not being cast as a human, but rather an ape. Therefore, despite an absurd revelation by Tim Burton, Giamatti didn’t mind donning the ape suit. In fact, the actor narrated it as a funny story in a recent interview.
Paul Giamatti would rather be an ape
Marking himself as a big fan of the Planet of the Apes franchise, whose first installment came in the late 1960s, Paul Giamatti was thrilled after he was approached for a part by director Tim Burton. The actor hilariously noted that his looks probably inspired Burton to portray an ape, and Giamatti was all in for it.
The 56-year-old actor played Limbo, a shrewd orangutan who traded human slaves. Breaking down his characters at GQ’s ‘Iconic Characters’ interview series, the Golden Globe winner unraveled minutes about his myriad of portrayals, from Sideways to Big Fat Liar.
Therefore, recalling his stint as Limbo in Planet of the Apes, Giamatti told GQ,
“I was obsessed with the ‘Planet of the Apes’ movies as a kid. And so the notion that I could be in one of those was mind-blowing to me. I didn’t audition for that. Tim Burton came to me with that, ’cause I guess he was like, ‘You look like a monkey, so I’ll have you do this.’ It was one of the funnest things I’ve ever done…I was covered head to toe, shoulders in a fat suit, and my feet”
That was not it. The actor even threatened his agents, who felt the Cinderella Man star must play a human instead, to let him continue playing the ape. He even admired his make-up artist Bill Corso, who was swift and steady, finishing the complex suit-up in less than 3 hours whereas others’ took over 4 hours.
Why did 2001’s Planet of the Apes fail?
After 1973’s Battle for the Planet of the Apes, Burton’s version was much-anticipated. The Planet of the Apes franchise has a rather massive fanbase, spanning over generations. Unfortunately, the 65-year-old director’s retelling of the blockbuster franchise was not well-received by the audience. After the following installment Rise of the Planet of the Apes came around in 2011, Mark Wahlberg did not star in it.
However, the actor was promoting his 2012 blockbuster Contraband and was asked for a comment on the Planet of the Apes sequel. While he admitted that he hadn’t seen it yet, but marked it as a better movie than his 2001 installment. Explaining the root cause of the film’s failure, Wahlberg told MTV News,
“They didn’t have the script right. They had a release date before he had shot a foot of film. They were pushing him and pushing him in the wrong direction. You have got to let Tim do his thing.”
With a total of 9 films in the Planet of the Apes franchise, the most recent sequel was released in 2017. With a 7.4 IMDb rating, War of the Planet of the Apes was evidently, a success whereas Burton’s was critically panned.
