The idea for the movie "Planet of the Apes" (1968) originated from the 1963 novel La Planète des Singes (translated as Planet of the Apes or Monkey Planet) by Pierre Boulle, a French author best known for The Bridge on the River Kwai.
Origins of the Idea:
Pierre Boulle wrote the novel as a satirical commentary on human nature, evolution, and social structures.
The book tells the story of astronauts who land on a planet ruled by intelligent apes, with humans as the primitive species.
Boulle was inspired by human behavior, evolution, and concerns about civilization's future.
How It Became a Movie:
Producer Arthur P. Jacobs obtained the film rights and pushed for an adaptation.
Rod Serling (creator of The Twilight Zone) wrote an early screenplay that reshaped the story into the 1968 film starring Charlton Heston.
Michael Wilson revised the final screenplay, adding the film’s famous twist ending: the ruined Statue of Liberty reveals that the planet is actually Earth in the future.
