New Planet of the Apes Adaptation Revives Rod Serling’s Original Screenplay

The original Planet of the Apes film is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and BOOM! Studios is presenting an intriguing piece of the series’ legend that was once thought to be lost to time.

The publisher, in association with 20th Century Fox Consumer Products, has announced a new original graphic novel titled Planet of the Apes: Visionaries that will be adapted from the original screenplay for the initial film penned by the mind behind The Twilight Zone, Rod Serling. Serling was the first writer commissioned by 20th Century Fox to adapt Pierre Boulle’s novel for the silver screen and his script featured drastic differences from the 1968 science-fiction classic.

“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,” gushed BOOM! Studios editor Dafna Pleban.

Serling’s script featured an entire metropolis rivaling modern New York City, with skyscrapers reaching toward the clouds and apes entrenched in similar cultures to that of the past few decades of human existence, rather than the primitive village depicted in the film. The film’s Taylor is now Thomas, and his arrival in Ape City sparks irreversible changes for man and ape alike.

The Simpsons writer Dana Gould will be charged with adapting Serling’s script, and original makeup tests and concept art from the film will inform the artwork of artist Chad Lewis (Avengers Origins). Both are excited to bring the script thought lost to the franchise’s immense fan base.

“Planet of the Apes meant as much to me growing up as baseball means to most kids. No lie,” said Gould, adding, “that I’m now able to be involved with this universe in a creative capaciity, much less adapting the original Rod Serling script … I am incredibly grateful to BOOM! Studios for this once in a lifetime opportunity.”

“Planet of the Apes: Visionaries is a dream project because it combines my love of retro sci-fi and anthropomorphic characters … it’s a joy to illustrate every corner of the rich universe,” said Lewis.

Print and digital copies of the graphic novel will be available in August 2018. See Eisner Award winner Paolo Rivera’s (Daredevil) cover art below.