Tim Burton’s attempt to reboot the Planet Of The Apes franchise is regarded as a catastrophic failure. While it was actually a box office success, it was roundly chastised by critics because of its convoluted plot - so much so that Tim Roth, who starred as the film’s villain, has now had to try and explain exactly what really happened in the film’s confusing conclusion.
The British actor is currently doing the rounds promoting Selma, in which he stars as George Wallace, the former governor of Alabama, and during a discussion with Crave Online the topic turned to Planet of the Apes.After being asked whether he knew exactly what his Planet of the Apes character, General Thade, did when he went back in time to Earth at the end of Burton's film, Roth responded:
"I think it was he took over, he took control. [Laughs] I think the idea was when they shunted in time that way, he was the President of the Planet of the Apes. [Laughs] Brilliant, I thought. It’s crazy stuff. I liked it. I had a good time making it. It was in the old style. It wasn’t too much CG trickery."
For those of you who have erased the ending to 2001’s Planet Of The Apes from their minds, you can remind yourself of its absurdity by watching the clip below.
So basically, Thade was sent back further in time than Marky-Mark, took over the planet, and created the planet of the apes on Earth That actually makes a modicum of sense! Thanks, Tim Roth!
Despite the fact Planet of the Apes ultimately generated $362 million at the box office - making it the ninth-highest grossing film in 2001 - it was ultimately regarded as a disappointment. It failed to emerge from the shadow of the 1968 original thanks to its shoddy script, and director Tim Burton would later blame a rushed production for its failings.
Even though Fox had previously confirmed that if Planet Of The Apes had flourished at the box office then it would get a sequel, the studio decided that the poor response to the film meant that it would be foolhardy to progress with such an effort.
However the emergence of the 2011 reboot, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, proved that Fox’s decision not to capitalize on the financial success of the 2001 blockbuster was correct. Both a critical and financial success, it was then followed by the even more lauded and profitable Dawn of the Planet of the Apes this past summer,. What's more, another sequel is already in the works too. Just don’t expect Mark Wahlberg to pop up in any of them.
