Planet of the Apes (2001 film) billed as "episode one in the Chronicles of Aschlar", Broyles' script caught the attention of director Tim Burton, who was hired in February 2000. "I wasn't interested in doing a remake or a sequel of the original "Planet of the Apes" film," Burton said later. "But I was intrigued by the idea of revisiting that world. Like a lot of people, I was affected by the original film. I wanted to do a 're-imagining'." Richard D. Zanuck signed on as producer in March. "This is a very emotional film for me. I greenlighted the original "Apes" when I was the
Planet of the Apes "Beneath" adaptations. In 1990, during a resurgence of interest in the franchise, Malibu Comics launched a new monthly black-and-white "Planet of the Apes" comic through its Adventure Comics studio. The debut issue sold 40,000, a record for black-and-white comics, leading to a successful run of 24 issues over two years. The series follows Caesar's grandson and heir Alexander as he struggles to govern ape civilization. The comic's success led Malibu to publish five four-issue spin-off miniseries: "Ape City", "Planet of the Apes: Urchak's Folly", the "Alien Nation" crossover "Ape Nation", "Planet of the Apes: Blood of the Apes", and "Planet