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EXCLUSIVE: 20th Century Fox has set James Franco to star in Rise of the Apes, the Rupert Wyatt-directed prequel that the studio has dated for a June 24, 2011 release. Chernin Entertainment’s Peter Chernin and Dylan Clark are producing with Amanda Silver and Rick Jaffa. Silver and Jaffa wrote the script.
Production begins July 5. Franco and Wyatt met last week and sparked to a collaboration, giving production president Emma Watts a whopping tent pole for summer, 2011. It’s the second in recent weeks, after she set Matthew Vaughn to direct X-Men: First Class, which is set for June 3, 2011 release.
The film is set in contemporary San Francisco, where a genetic engineering experiment leads to the creation of intelligence in apes, causing an inevitable conflict between species. Fox has already partnered with Peter Jackson’s WETA Digital for the cutting edge visual effects. Franco plays a young scientist who becomes a crucial figure in the war between humans and apes.
Makes sense that the studio would be high on Franco right now because they’ve recently seen his work in 127 Hours, the Danny Boyle-directed fact-based drama. Franco plays Aron Ralston, the hiker whose arm got pinned under a boulder for hours. He was forced to saw off the limb with a dull knife and found the strength to climb down the mountain.
James Franco Adds Summit Comedy ‘Ricky Stanicky’ To Varied Dance Card
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I like this kid. There’s something different about him. I like Penn, I like Depp.
Thank you.
your posts suck. no one cares who you like. when you will you get that through your thick skull?
Wow, that seem a bit harsh
Might be harsh but “Brian’s” right. This “anhonestanswer.com” and his equally irrelevant counterpart “Furious D” are just absolute tools that need to go away.
“Thank you.”
No One likes your posts either when will you get that through your fragile, insipid mind.
when i read these headlines, I immediatly just picture thousands of copies sitting on DVD shelves with no one renting it.
You can’t blame studios think that since he was in a superhero franchise, that he’d be a brand-new star (“Flyboys”, anyone?). He may not be an A-lister, but apparently a lot of people want him for their next project.
I think he’s better off playing supporting roles… his work in “Milk” and “Pineapple Express” were top-notch.
wow- James Franco has the busiest schedule in Hollywood. Who’s this kid’s agent. I like Franco but I like Franco’s agent even better.
Agreed!
This is just such a stupid, weird movie. No one under the age of 35 finds it remotely interested, and like all other tentpoles, the script will be underdeveloped and generally crappy. What makes people think anyone wants to see this monkey movie? Idiots.
You mean *overdeveloped* and generally crappy.
This is could possibly be rad.
I agree, this could be rad.
I’ve spoken with Peter about his take on the movie and am happy to say that you don’t know what you’re talking about, literally. It won’t be actors in rubber ape masks this time around.
Speaking as someone under 35, Planet of the Apes was a classic sci-fi that I enjoyed watching. Whether this movie can come close to the original (that the Burton remake nor the sequels pulled off) remains to be seen. But if it can then I would go see it.
As for the age of the original, just look at Tron, huge buzz for that movie that is pretty dated. Or Lord of the Rings if you want something with more years. Robin Hood, etc…
I read the Jaffa/Silver original draft and the script was fantastic. A very cool take on a dated idea. Fox will have a hit with this pre-quel of a dormant franchise!
Franco cannot open a movie. Put him in a movie with an “OK” director and a cast where is the only “name” and it plummets to the ground. Name one movie where HE is the start without an all star cast / director … seriously, name 1.
Doesn’t mean it can’t be done well. He’s a good actor, he needs the right material and director.
dude. he’s been in loads of clunkers over the past 10 or 15 years. teenage girls loved him in the first spiderman. then he went running away from his good looks. and now he’s not that great looking anymore.
I would say his star has considerably risen since the days of him toplining stinkers like Flyboys. If this was 2004, I would have agreed with you. In 2010, and into 2011? Not so much.
By the time this Planet of the Apes movie will be out, he’ll have starred in Danny Boyle’s Oscar-contender 127 Hours. A movie, where outside of a few flashback scenes, he’s on the screen for the majority of the runtime. Beyond that, he’ll have also have starred in David Gordon Green’s Your Highness. He’s has two successful SNL hosting gigs under his belt(Seth Meyers recently proclaiming him to be the next Walken, in terms of SNL hosts), and numerous other accolades. His star is on the rise.
hey jackass, name a person who can “open” a movie.. will smith only.
johnny depp (as long as michael mann isn’t directing)
If the Franco/Danny Boyle movie about the hiker who had to cut off his arm works out, he’s going to be huge.
Franco is appealing, and has done well with smaller parts (see his nice turn in “Date Night”).
Not sure how well he does as the straight lead, but I’m interested in seeing what he does with 127 Hours, which is an amazing story.
This will explain the “Ape Lincoln Memorial” that mocked viewers who set through that terrible Tim Burton remake?
Say what you will about Tim Burton’s movie, but the “Ape Lincoln Memorial” IS IN THE FUCKING BOOK
With all due respect to the guy calling himself Pierre Boule, the “Ape Lincoln Memorial” does NOT APPEAR IN THE FUCKING BOOK.
Yes, the Memorial was in the book along with all of the other disconnected nonsense that Pierre Boulle couldn’t draw a worthwhile conclusion from. The original movie director/producers/writer was able to take a book that really wasn’t very good and turn it into an iconic masterpiece of its time. Why Burton wasn’t able to recognize that this aspect of the plot, (as well as not being on earth along) did not have even 1/10th the impact that the original film did is worth mentioning whether it was in the book or not. When adapting a novel for the screen, you owe nothing to the novelist; the only people you are beholden to are those who pay to see it, so if the source material is weak in certain areas, you are obliged to make it better, whenever possible.
WHY do they keep trying to ram this ‘Apes’ franchise down our throats? Franco is a talented actor with a future…WHY would he want to be part of a franchise that ultimately no one is going to care about? Is it just for the paycheck?
‘Apes’ may have had an impact on our psyche in a previous era when it was a novel concept, not to mention a powerful message about prejudice during a time when people needed to wake up to it, but now that it’s been done and re-done so many times, the whole thing is old news.
I’ll give any movie the benefit of the doubt, and we’ll see how this one turns out, but my bets are against it.
Should have gone with something else, Franco.
It’s not about prejudice, the re-imagined concept is a cautionary tale about the dangers of genetic engineering. Perhaps you should try reading the original post?
An interesting idea considering they announced they have made the first synthetic life yesterday.
Yes, I did read the post. I was referring to the original series. My point was that I’m just getting tired of the whole ‘Apes’ franchise, regardless of how they decide to spin it.
If they want to ‘re-imagine’ something, just come up with a new idea/movie…like, say ‘Splice’. Now THAT movie looks interesting.
Wow. And I almost thought today would be a day without news of James Franco…
I’d rather see him star as twisted performance artist Franco in a GENERAL HOSPITAL feature film! Now THERE’S a beloved franchise with unlimited possibilities and worldwide name recognition.
At this time, no one knows if the “ape movie” will succeed or fail. The parade of retards who are pontificating about it should be quiet. Franco is a talented, hardworking actor, but the script and the director will determine if it works or not.
You mirror my views.
Yay Mandy and Rick!!!!!! What about Cambria??????
I hope this will be in 3D and the intelligent apes throw their feces at the camera.
The Apes franchise is creatively dead in the water – it’s a wacky 1960s idea with no legs to it whatsoever. The Tim Burton remake coasted along on the back of novelty value (which this new film won’t have) as well as the iconic Planet of the Apes title (which this new film won’t have). I simply don’t understand who in their right mind would greenlight this concept.
Who in their right mind? Obviously, the extraordinarily brilliant, genius minds with the added gift of omniscience as to what the audience wants, and who very rightfully believe that greenlighting remakes/reboots trumps boring, staid original concepts. They are right, we are wrong.
I’m being dry, btw. Some people don’t always get that.
THANK YOU. Agreed.
This will be a terrible film for one big reason: Fox is doing it. They hate sci-fi and treat it accordingly. Has anyone forgotten what they did to FANTASTIC FOUR, or THE X-MEN after Bryan Singer left? And that spinoff WOLVERINE was totally atrocious.
Fox’s front office will butcher anything good in the project with their notes & suggestions… these bozos so love being creative.
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Fantastic Voyage
Planet of the Apes
Star Wars
Alien
Predator
ID-4
Avatar
For a studio that “hates sci-fi” Fox sure makes (and remakes) a lot of sci-fi movies.
The Tim Burton remake was terrible. By reinventing the mythology, the writers/producers have the opportunity to leave the camp/creaky movies we remember behind and turn this new APES into a modern day, reinvention everyone will want to see.
Give Jimmy Francs a break why don’t you.
He’s been busy making a name for himself and for an actor that’s always flown under the radar (albeit accidentally) he’s definitely on the come up.
If 127 HOURS is as good as the actual story, James Franco will at last have currency with the movie going public. This guy could easily carry Rise Of The Apes.
Are we forgetting that the Planet Of The Apes reboot had MARK WAHLBERG in it?
Cut Jimmy Francs a break why don’t you?
One way this ape prequel can succeed at the box office I believe if the script is strong and charactors compelling. Listen I’d like the original Planet of the Apes which I saw when I was young and Tim Burton’s version was okay. But if the prequel is told right and franco’s charactor is believiable.
So this is what happened to Amanda Silver. From The Hand That Rocks The Cradle to this trash. Jesus. I’m sure it’ll go D2DVD.
i like the concept