Arnold Schwarzenegger was the king of action movies in the ’80s and ’90s thanks to Terminator, Predator, Total Recall, and True Lies. During the ’90s, he also found himself attached to one of the most popular film franchises ever created: Planet of the Apes. Before Tim Burton made a reboot in 2001 with Mark Wahlberg, Schwarzenegger was ready to lead the Planet of the Apes franchise out of the doldrums, which hadn’t seen a new entry since 1973’s Battle for the Planet of the Apes. Hollywood hasn’t lost interest in the ape movies, with the Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes climbing its way into theaters now.
The future governor of California wasn’t there for a reboot, though, but for a sequel which would have taken the series in a new direction. While he was attached to it, the likes of Oliver Stone, Chris Columbus, Peter Jackson, and even James Cameron came and went as potential writers and directors with their own take. Sadly, the movie never came to be, but if it had, we probably never would have had the new films we celebrate today. How did this match made in heaven fall apart?
Oliver Stone Had Plans To Produce a ‘Planet of the Apes’ Sequel
Arnold Schwarzenegger was the biggest star in Hollywood, with nearly every movie he made becoming box office gold, but then came Last Action Hero in 1993. It was a surprising critical and box office dud, making just $50 million on an $85 million budget. It didn’t help that Last Action Hero came out in the same month as Jurassic Park, but with Schwarzenegger stunned, it’s understandable that he would be looking for something that felt like a rebound. He found it when he reteamed with Terminator director James Cameron for True Lies in 1994, but at the same time, he attached himself to Planet of the Apes. Imagine prime ’90s Arnold beating up some villainous apes while throwing out one-liners. Who wouldn’t watch that?! Better yet, it wasn’t going to be a timid reboot, but a sequel to the original franchise.
Last Action Hero wasn’t Schwarzenegger’s only disappointment during this era. In 1994, his comedy, Junior, tanked as well, making just $24 million domestically. Three weeks after it debuted in theaters, Entertainment Weekly was reporting that Arnold Schwarzenegger was in discussions with 20th Century Fox to star in a Planet of the Apes sequel with a projected $60-70 million budget. If that wasn’t intriguing enough, Oliver Stone, who was also in his prime with directing credits such as JFK and Natural Born Killers, was going to be executive producer. Practical effects master Stan Winston, the mastermind behind the awe-inspiring creations in The Terminator and Jurassic Park was at the ready, and Phillip Noyce was being looked at to direct. While Noyce might not be a name who stands out now, he was white-hot in 1994 thanks to sitting in the director’s chair for the Harrison Ford-led Jack Ryan film, Clear and Present Danger. It seemed a sure thing, but then, as so many dream projects do, it fell apart bit by bit.
