Boom! Studios has announced that it is set to celebrate fifty years of Planet of the Apes with a comic book adaptation based upon The Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling’s unproduced screenplay for the iconic film, entitled Planet of the Apes: Visionaries.
On the road to making the landmark science-fiction classic, 20th Century Fox commissioned Rod Serling to adapt the French novel La Planete des singes. Serling’s first draft, which was drastically revised before filming, is a radically different vision of the franchise than the one the world has come to know and love. Taylor is Thomas, and Ape City isn’t a crude, primitive grouping of huts; instead, it’s a bustling and urbane metropolis filled with cars and skyscrapers and a vibrant Ape culture. In a world where Apes wear modern clothes, drive modern cars and rule the late night talk show scene, the arrival of one man will forever change how Apes – and Humans – view themselves.
“Planet Of The Apes meant as much to me growing up as baseball means to most kids. No lie,” said Dana Gould, who is creating the comic adaptation with Chad Lewis. “That I’m now able to be involved with this universe in a creative capacity, much less adapting the original Rod Serling script… I mean, Rod Serling! I am incredibly grateful to BOOM! Studios for this once in a lifetime opportunity.”
“Planet of the Apes: Visionairies is a dream project because it combines my love of retro sci-fi fi and anthropomorphic characters,” added Lewis. “There’s nothing better than drawing human emotions on gorillas and chimps! Dana has deftly translated these great characters and world into the graphic novel format and it’s a joy to illustrate every corner of the rich universe.”
“For every Planet of the Apes fan that’s wanted to see what Rod Serling’s original film would’ve looked like and the team on this graphic novel will blow you away,” said Dafna Pleban, Editor, BOOM! Studios. “Dana Gould and Chad Lewis having lovingly adapted the ambitious, original plan for Planet of the Apes film into a graphic novel that speaks to the timeless, unflinching themes of the franchise while offering an entirely new vision of familiar faces.”
Planet of the Apes: Visionaries will launch in August 2018.
