Although a prequel/reboot to Planet Of The Apes has been in the works for years, once they had an approach they liked Fox has been moving fast to get it ready to go in front of the cameras. Rupert Wyatt (The Escapist) will direct, and James Franco was recently announced for the lead role of a young scientist who becomes a key figure in the growing tension and eventual war between humans and apes.
Now Bloody Disgusting is reporting that offers have gone out to Don Cheadle and Freida Pinto to star in the movie, although there's no news on exactly what their roles might be.
Fox has said that, 'RISE OF THE APES (tentative title) is an origin story in the truest sense of the term. Set in present day San Francisco, the film is a reality-based cautionary tale, a science fiction/science fact blend, where man’s own experiments with genetic engineering lead to the development of intelligence in apes and the onset of a war for supremacy.' However it'll be interesting to see how they handle the fact that while we'd normally expect to be rooting for the humans, in this the apes will eventually win and enslave humanity, which might put a bit of a downer on the movie.
Rather than men in suits, the simians will be created using CG and by Peter Jackson's WETA Digital team in New Zealand. Filming is due to begin early next month, with a release planned for June 24th, 2011.