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Bill Creber, Art Director on ‘Planet of the Apes’ Passes Away

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Sad news to pass along today as we have learned that Bill Creber, best known for his work on the Planet of the Apes franchise has passed away. According to Deadline, the 87-year old Oscar-nominated production designer died in LA on March 7 due to complications from pneumonia after a prolonged illness.

When Creber joined the 1968 film Planet of the Apes, his first task as art director was to design the ape city. He would stay with the series for their first three films.

Creber’s last film in the Planet of the Apes universe, Escape from the Planet of the Apes proved to be his favorite as he told Cinefantastique Magazine in the summer of 1972 issue  “As much as I enjoyed the first film, my favorite project was the third one, and I think it was by far a better picture than the second one. What the second one lacked was the real relationship between the apes and the humans, and this is what ‘Escape’ had.” read more

Tim Burton to Auction Iconic Props from ‘Edward Scissorhands,’ ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas,’ ‘Beetlejuice,’ and More

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Tim Burton just turned 60 yesterday, and he’s marking the occasion by offering the greatest reason to default on my mortgage that I ever did see! The legendary writer/director/producer has decided to make some of the most iconic props from his films available to wealthy collectors through an exclusive auction with Prop Store, a movie collectibles company which operates in Los Angeles and London.

The Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction will be held in London on September 20th, 2018. Burton’s contributions include such gems as Johnny Depp’s Edward Scissorhands costume, a sandworm puppet from Beetlejuice, a landscape and characters from A Nightmare Before Christmas, and various Catwoman costume pieces from Batman Returns. According to ABC 7 Eyewitness News, the collection is estimated to be valued at more than $4.5 million. Below are a sampling of items from the auction, courtesy of Prop Store, and you can find the rest of the catalog at www.propstore.com. read more

BOOM! Studios to Adapt Rod Serling’s Original ‘Planet of the Apes’ Screenplay in ‘Planet of the Apes: Visionaries’

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BOOM! Studios in association with 20th Century Fox Consumer Products have announced that they will be releasing an original graphic novel titled Planet of the Apes: Visionaries. The book, which is set to release in August, adapts Rod Serling’s original screenplay of the 1968 film Planet of the Apes into comic book format.

Planet of the Apes: Visionaries will show a much different take on the “Ape” world than what was seen in the movie franchise. In Serling’s version, apes are imagined in a modern world complete with skyscrapers, cars, televisions and a vibrant culture. read more

USC School of Cinematic Arts to Host 50 Years of ‘Planet of the Apes’ Exhibit

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On March 27th, 2018, Twentieth Century Fox’s venerable Planet of the Apes series will officially turn 50 years old. To celebrate this momentous occasion, the studio will be participating in a variety of anniversary events. One of those events will come in the form of an official exhibit and film retrospective at University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts in Los Angeles.

The official website for Planet of the Apes was updated today with the announcement that USC exhibit will feature, “a vast collection of props, costumes, photos, posters and artwork.” The showcase will also consist of screenings and panels, including a screening of the 1968 film and a panel discussion featuring Linda Harrison, Matt Reeves, Rupert Wyatt, Rick Jaffa, and Amanda Silver on the legacy of the franchise. “50 Years of Planet of the Apes” will run from February 9th to May 13th, 2018. The exhibit will be open to the public and admission will be free. read more

Mark Wahlberg Recalls Being Attacked by Chimpanzees on the Set of ‘Planet of the Apes’

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If you think you have bad memories from simply watching Tim Burton’s 2001 remake of Planet of the Apes, wait until you find out what Mark Wahlberg went through while trying to film it! He recently appeared on the Graham Norton show and revealed a traumatic encounter he had with real life chimpanzees on the set of the film.

When asked what it was like to work with living primates on the set of Planet of the Apes, Wahlberg responded with the following anecdote:

“The monkeys, no, they were the worst… They wanted us to get acclimated with the chimps, and anytime I would go near (actress Helena Bonham Carter), the chimps would start attacking me. They’d start like trying to punch me in the nuts, like my 5-year-old-son. Like really bad, like nonstop. I’m like ‘Okay, alright, stop now. Stop playing around. We’ve gotta work.’ And the chimps were constantly trying to attack me.” read more

New Planet of the Apes Trailer Released by 20th Century Fox

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20th Century Fox has released the official trailer for the next installment in a revived franchise, War for the Planet of the Apes. The third film in the rebooted Planet lineage (or fourth, if you count Tim Burton’s 2001 remake Planet of the Apes) is hoping to follow in the critical and financial footsteps of its predecessors. You can check out the new film trailer below.

In the footage, we see both races preparing for a huge battle, perhaps the ultimate one.  The finality and decisiveness of this battle depends on the success of the film, of course, as a big box office would practically ensure that another sequel will be produced. The movie features Woody Harrelson and Judy Greer, and Andy Serkis will return to reprise his role as Caesar. read more