Planet of the Apes 20th Century Fox; since his death in 1973, Fox has controlled the franchise. Four sequels followed the original film from 1970 to 1973: "Beneath the Planet of the Apes", "Escape from the Planet of the Apes", "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes", and "Battle for the Planet of the Apes". They did not approach the critical acclaim of the original, but were commercially successful, spawning two television series in 1974 and 1975. Plans for a film remake stalled in "development hell" for over ten years before Tim Burton's "Planet of the Apes" was released in 2001. A reboot film
Planet of the Apes independent film director, would develop a new "Apes" movie. At a Fox executive's invitation, Rifkin pitched a concept for "Return to the Planet of the Apes", an alternative sequel to "Planet" that ignored the other four films. In Rifkin's initial concept, Taylor's descendant Duke launches a Spartacus-like uprising against Roman-inspired ape oppressors led by General Izan. Days before the project was scheduled to enter pre-production, Fox brought in new studio executives who sent it back to development. They commissioned Rifkin to write several redrafts, but found them unsatisfactory and ultimately scrapped the project. After several years in limbo, Fox returned