Whenever filmmakers find themselves reticent to use the 100 percent accurate term “remake,” it often gets substituted for “reimagining” instead. While it’s become part of common parlance in the age of dusting off any worthwhile property, it first gained widespread popularity – and a hint of notoriety – when Tim Burton was breathing new life into Planet of the Apes.
Although the 2001 blockbuster has since become a pariah of sorts when it comes to naming the most needless and misguided reboots of the modern era, it’s worth noting that a $366 million haul at the box office ensured it was far from a flop. Nonetheless, planned sequels on the back of the rug-pulling final twist fell by the wayside, ultimately paving the way for bigger and better things.
Echoing the sentiment of many who found the far-flung blockbuster to be an arduous slog, when asked if he’d be interested in returning to helm a follow-up, Burton replied by revealing he’d “rather jump out of a window.” Thankfully, franchise plans were scrapped in short order, and it proved to be a masterstroke when we ended up with one of cinema’s all-time greatest trilogies once Rupert Wyatt and Matt Reeves had combined for Caesar’s consistently acclaimed arc.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes recently wrapped production, and reimaginings remain all the rage, so Burton’s updated take on the seminal 1968 original continues to enhance its accidental legacy more than 20 years after the fact, while FlixPatrol revealing it as one of the biggest hits on iTunes this week showcases that audiences are still willing to check it out.
