Rupert Wyatt talks about his ideas for an Apes sequel

August 8, 2011 by | 30 Comments

planet of the apes 2011 Image Rise of the Planet of the Apes beat expectations this weekend by making around $54 million at the US box office and $23 million overseas. With a production budget of $93 million it won’t have any trouble making it’s money back, and then some, so there’s a good chance the apes will be rising again in the future.

While on the rounds promoting the film, which has 81% on Rotten Tomatoes, director Rupert Wyatt spoke about his ideas for a potential sequel, and said it could take place several years after the events of Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

From Bleeding Cool:

“There’s so much we could do… The ideas I’ve had are all sorts of things, ranging from Full Metal Jacket with apes… you could start this story again eight years from where we left off, the next generation of apes, those that have come from our protagonists, perhaps going in to a conflict with humans and showing real fear, in the same way as going into war for young soldiers in this day and age, telling their story. Or how apes are taking over cities, and being moved into human environments and having to interact with them and deal with things that are part of our culture and understand and evolve through them. Spies that are in the employ of the apes, working against humans and humans maybe existing underground, because that’s a way they can avoid the virus, coming up above ground wearing gas masks, and maybe that’s what dehumanises them.”

I haven’t had the chance to see the film yet as it won’t hit UK screens until Wednesday, but feedback i’ve read suggests this is a surprisingly good film. This time last year X-Men: First Class was still in prep and Apes had just started filming, so the fact 20th Century Fox have managed to make two good movies despite the rush is quite an achievement. Plus they’re both prequels/reboots which people tend to discourage.

To those who’ve seen Rise of the Planet of the Apes, what would you like to see in a potential sequel?

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  • Jaikeha

    anything and everything in the follow up to this movie.

    Just hurry up and make it.

    Also I woke up the next morning after seeing Rise and realized the importance of the lost spaceship headline in the movie. Very suttle, can’t beleive i did not get it while watching it….doh!

  • Arizonabay6

    Yes a sequel NOW!!! It was a great setup for a larger film about the ape takeover – maybe Victory of the Planet of the Apes?

  • Dshannon

    Yes, definitely a sequel! This has been the surpise movie of the year, amazingly well done, and the story deserves to continue. Let’s see the virus spread, the apes learn speech, and there be divisions between those apes wanting to live separately from humans, and the more militant factions.

  • Tony

    i was thinking, in the original at the end of the movie we see the statue of liberty, and at the end of rise of the planet of the apes, it zooms in on New York at the airport, so could that be a hint to as we’ll see what happens to New York in the sequel? Or since it shows the apes looking out over San Fran, will we see a take over of San Fran?

  • monkey man

    james franco should be stoned out of his gord the entire next movie

  • Phil Freeman

    My first thought was something like I Am Legend or Mad Max but with Apes. Like 1 out of 1,000 people are immune to the virus and find ways of surviving in a world full of apes.

    Maybe they send a transmission to Icarus to warn them to stay away, but ironically the Icarus misinterprets and thinks they should come back to Earth.

    I do like the Apes training / war ideas. Hopefully they can still fit in social commentary, that’s what made this and the original films so relevant.

  • Butlern19

    Connecting the
    prequel to the originals series is a must. Okay we see the Rise of the Apes.
    Now we need to see the How, Why and the leaders that start the Apes Rule.

  • Zachman_95531

    Just doo the original story, but stay as true to novel as you can. so the og apes story with tayloer and what not but in a a modern looking ape society instead of a primitive one.

    • Waynedcoville

      the original movie and the novel by P. Boulle are completely different ideas. the original movie was scripted by R. Serling of twilight zone fame

  • sorbet

    maybe having the apes show humans how to have compassion–Caesar started it by sparing human lives—something unpredictable would be great

  • Paranormal96

    It should be called Reign Of The Planet Of The Apes.

    • Wobblinggonzo

      I like it. Good call.

  • Gustabogcg

    Rise of the planet of the apes was rilly awesome but 20th century fox could have done a good job and even in dragon ball : evolution but these assholes didnt do nothing to make DB kool

  • Investigator1225

    If there is a sequel, I believe it should continue to focus on the apes establishing themselves and working towards in fact taking over.  Between the virus and mankind itself, the apes will be the dominant species on the planet.  The humans will have to retreat to space or as suggested move underground leaving the world to the apes.  At the end of the movie the virus is rapidly spreading across the world, my only question would be how all the apes do indeed get together and form organizations across the world.  That development and mankind trying to re-establish itself both underground and survive on the surface would be very interesting if done as well as this movie.

  • PrinceCharming1981

    I’d like to see in an sequel that apes learn to speak a few more words, but not only that, that mankind is hunting the apes down thinking that they spread the virus and the gorilla’s go berzerk (The only good human is a dead human) and the start of the manhunt. The apes retaliating their human nemesis and humans bombing their own cities, forcing the survivors to live underground and starting “The Forbidden Zones”. Also I’d like to see more details on the Icarus mission and a rescueteam led by John Brent to follow the Icarus. My final thought would be if the cities are bombed, we ultimately find an antidote against the virus, but the side effects are that we get stupid and it spreads like hell…

    • Dover Boii

      yeah this is most practical and good ideas about the forbidden zones.

  • chinitial

    I don’t want to see the progress or evolution of the Apes. It’s going to be like a remake of Beneath the POTA which was considered one of the worst of the original saga. I’d like to see Taylor’s crew already stepping on Mars (3D). The tv news mentioned water was found on Mars and hence Taylor, his crew AND US can we cheated thinking he was all the time on Mars until he finds out he’s on earth ruled by apes in the future.

  • Wobblinggonzo

    Something along the lines of “Battle for the  Planet of the Apes”, but a bit sooner in the timeline. We need to see the fall of mankind AND the rise of the intelligence and society of the Apes, something quite stepped over in the original movies. And if there is any theme we can leave out from the originals, it’s underground mutants… I love the movies, but have a hard time with that one.
    BRING IT ON!! FIGHT LIKE APES!!

  • Lucki111

    10 years after the revolution caeser brought about to the apesthe world has changed. All human life now lives in protected cities to avoid the virus. Caesers people have lived in peace wanting no more conflict. Humans hav a different idea. in an effort to eradicate the virus they begin killing caesers peopleleft and right. its not till after they murder his pregnant partner when he beginsfighting back. caeser infiltrates the abandoned research building to steal more of the miracle drug. he finds his father, the doctor, dead and half decayed. Caeser pukes uncontrollably screaming. He finally snaps, injecting himself and many other apes with a large dose of the drug. they begin making bows and arrows, large weapons fashioned out of crude metal they smelt. With their heightened intelligence, and brute force they begin once again to battle for their rights. The doctors wife tracks down ceaser and tries to kill him after offering a hug. caeser looks at her unbelieving as he pulls the knife out of his shoulder. Avolley of arrows ends her life and ends all of caesers compassion for thehuman race. He travels to several continents bringing other monkeys with him allowing them to breathe the mircale drug. all over the world an understanding is coming to all primeapes ” We are Rising” they chant it in the streets as the infiltrate cities and burn mankind to the ground. Some apes steal guns and the orangutangs fashion armour that is bulletproof, The main antagonist should be the doctors wife as she was secretely Secretary of War in the new human republic. The man whos son was killed by caeser follows caeser all throughout the movie and causes problems before inevitably being stabbed to death by ceaser. The gaurd that was nice at caesers old Ape prison looks on in horror and closes his eyes when caeser turns around and begins walking towards him. caeser tears off his gas mask. Man continues to squeeze his eyes shut. he opens them to find himself alone but next to amonkeys corpse. caeser spared his life, but only for now, the virus will get him.

    Rise of the Apes: Caesers Rage

    • Guessnot

      nice lucki111,   i like it

    • Rithu

      Really good Lucki111. I watched Rise of apes just yesterday. I did notice that “LOST IN SPACE” in the San Fransisco chronicle in a scene. This is could mean that Mark getting himself lost in the space capsule Planet of the Apes 2001. So by traveling through the black hole (space time thing) he returns back to Earth and finds all apes ruling the modern world. This is because the virus has been spread to all apes in a long course of time. But the questions are,

      * the Icarus is not mentioned in 2001 movie
      *how did the chimp loosen themselves and get outta control in the space station
      *where and how did that lost world of apes come in 2001  

  • Papa2011

    bring it on. the title should be called ”Attack Of The Planet Of The Apes”

  • rosny888

    what about if the apes build a spaceship, and sucsessfully finds another world with something something etc etc … havent given this much thought , but it just popped in my head right after seeing this movie… something along the original old movie ????

  • Cmendezbolso

    i loved the movie , and a sequel will be awsome , we need to see how the virus exterminates most of the humans ( the pilot at the end of the movie infected in the airport )in the world and the ones left alive are captured by the Apes , the the lost space ship returns to find the whole planet changed , cant wait to see the rest.

  • Timrolnick57

    An amazing film!! The idea of the apes creating a military and to go through training is an excellent idea. The one thing I wonder how the next movie will unravel is how the apes will travel through space to get their own planet or take over earth. A good example as to why apes and other wild animals should not be held in captivity, Haha. For sure this would never happen, but this movie showed great dramatic scenes of trauma that animals go through when captured, caged and tested on. Or when losing a loved one to humans. Humans have morals and wish to find excellent beneficial cures through testing on animals yet us humans are actually still a young and inexperienced species that still have much to learn about our resources and respecting the planet and life. Hopefully when the apes take over the world, they save the natural enviorment by bringing back the primitive but structured way of living back to earth. Unless apes are in rule and feel like there is no hope in living off the planet and its resources because of the deteriorating destruction humans have already caused on the planet and decide to leave and find salvation and sanctuary in another planet before we ever could by their intelligence. I just hope it doesn’t take too long for the next one to come out, although I understand it takes time and patience to create such an extraordinary work of art.

  • Shadowglass79

    I would like to see a detailed examination of Ceasar’s trials and tribulations while trying to learn (by trial and error, of course) how to be an effective leader. For instance, will/does he remain “Supreme Simian”, or do other apes form splinter cells? Koba (sp?) seemed a likely candidate for a rival for Ceasar’s position as the stare down when he was thrown away from Will (Franco) was full of tension. But, like you said. There are SO MANY possibilities. Don’t hafta use ‘em all up in ONE more movie…. I would LOVE to see a “Chronicles Of Ceasar” Trilogy (or more?) type of production…but that’s just me

  • Derek

    I know Tim Burton’s Planet Of The Apes was a lot different.  But I thought it was well done.  Not sure why there isn’t a sequel to that movie.  This ROTPOTA was a lot better.  But, why not have different versions of  Planet Of The Apes?????  I think that would be pretty cool.

  • Prince_Charming_1981

    Comparing Burton’s Planet Of The Apes and the original Planet Of The Apes would be like comparing the original Ghostbusters with FUNimation’s Ghostbusters…A lot of difference. I would defenitely see sequels to both the Planet Of The Apes, Burton’s and Rise 2.

  • Sensual_Kisses

    I think Caeser Sould have a son.And he teaches them all to talk.And his son becomes the new leader. And the son sees war on tv. and practices using guns. and teaches All the apes and they go fight to live. Normal lives . like humans

  • aeternata

    All the intelligent apes do short courses in politics, economics, English and engineering, and take over San Fran. They take up office positions and managerial roles. Caeser takes over Apple and rebrands the company as “Banana”. The share price plummets when all apps are banned from the app store except for a poor Donkey Kong clone (the apes were unsuccessful in their negotiations with Nintendo), and touch screens are made to be only usable with furry hands (the new apePhones become popular in Italy and Greece).