Planet of the Apes (movie) facts for kids

The cast of the Planet of the Apes TV series: James Naughton as Burke, Ron Harper as Virdon, and Roddy McDowall as Galen

Planet of the Apes is a famous American science fiction movie. It came out in 1968 and was directed by Franklin J. Schaffner. The movie is based on a novel called La planète des singes (which means Planet of the Apes). Pierre Boulle wrote the book in 1963.

The film stars Charlton Heston and also features actors like Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, and Maurice Evans. 20th Century Fox released the movie.

What is Planet of the Apes About?

The story of Planet of the Apes follows a group of astronauts. They leave Earth on a long journey into space. Their spaceship crashes on a planet that they think is alien. This happens in the far future, around the 40th century.

Only three of the four crew members survive the crash. They soon discover that this world is home to a society of intelligent apes. These apes include chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans.

A World Ruled by Apes

These apes are very smart. They can speak and walk upright, just like humans. In their society, humans are treated very differently. Humans are kept like slaves and live in the wild. They cannot speak.

At the end of the movie, one of the astronauts makes a shocking discovery. He finds the Statue of Liberty. This makes him realize that they were on Earth all along.

Why Planet of the Apes Was Important

Planet of the Apes was a huge success when it came out. It earned a lot of money and critics loved it. People praised the movie for exploring big ideas.

Big Ideas in the Movie

The film made people think about many important topics. These included differences between social classes and ideas about religion. It also touched on issues like slavery, racism, and the dangers of nuclear weapons.

Sequels and Spin-offs

Because the first movie was so popular, many more films were made. Four sequels followed the original:

• Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970)
• Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971)
• Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)
• Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973)

The story also became a live-action TV show in 1974. An animated cartoon called Return to the Planet of the Apes came out in 1975. Even a cartoon like The Fairly OddParents has an episode inspired by Planet of the Apes. In that episode, humans are cavemen slaves and apes are their rulers.

New Movies and Reboots

In 2001, a new version of the movie was made. It was directed by Tim Burton and starred Mark Wahlberg.

The series got a fresh start in August 2011 with Rise of the Planet of the Apes. This movie was followed by Dawn of the Planet of the Apes in 2014. A third film in this new series, War of the Planet of the Apes, was released in 2017.

Images for kids

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  First American edition of Boulle's novel, titled Planet of the Apes

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  Charlton Heston, star of Planet of the Apes

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  Franklin J. Schaffner, director of Planet of the Apes

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  Roddy McDowall returned as Cornelius in Escape from the Planet of the Apes. He would go on to star in two more Apes films and the live-action television series.

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  Tim Burton, director of the 2001 Planet of the Apes

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  Andy Serkis portrayed Caesar via performance capture acting

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  Director and cast of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (from left): Matt Reeves and stars Jason Clarke, Keri Russell, and Andy Serkis

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  Fans in costume as Dr. Zaius and Dr. Zira at a science fiction convention

See also

In Spanish: El planeta de los simios (franquicia) para niños