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THE Big Island is going ape this month. Cameras roll on
Big Isle for ‘Planet of
the Apes’ sequelBy Tim Ryan
Star-BulletinDirector Tim Burton is bringing the latest "Planet of the Apes" sequel -- titled "Planet of the Apes" -- for as many as five days of principal photography, though with preparation and post-production work, crews are expected to be on the island for a month. Locations are being kept secret.
Portions of "Planet of the Apes" have already been filmed in the desert of Trona, Calif., and on a 32,000 square-foot sound stage at Sony studios in Culver City. According to sources, the Sony sets include the lush, jungle home of the apes.
A trailer for the film is slated to be screened in some theaters today. The release date is July 27.
The film's working title had been "The Visitor." A teaser that will appear onposters and advertisements for the film reads, "Rule the Planet."
The film stars Mark Wahlberg, who most recently appeared in "Perfect Storm," and "Three Kings." The ape cast also includes Kauai resident Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa ("Black Rain," "Picture Bride"); Helena Bonham Carter ("Fight Club," "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein); Michael Clarke Duncan ("The Green Mile," "Armageddon"); Paul Giamatti ("Private Parts," "Man on the Moon"); and Tim Roth ("Reservoir Dogs," "Pulp Fiction").
Most of the actors will make the Big Island trip for filming.
Charlton Heston, who starred in the original 1968 "Planet of the Apes" as a human, reportedly has a cameo role in the Burton pic as an ape. Burton also directed dark pictures such as "Sleepy Hollow," "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and "Batman."
"Planet of the Apes" depicts a brutal world where humans are hunted and enslaved by tyrannical primates. The sudden appearance of Wahlberg's astronaut character Lee Davidson challenges the status quo and becomes a catalyst for a revolutionary change.
Bonham portrays Ari, a human rights activist. Duncan plays Attar, a fierce ape army warrior. Tagawa plays Ari's faithful gorilla servant Krull.
The "Planet of the Apes" script is by William Broyles Jr., who also wrote "China Beach" and "Apollo 13." The story is not a direct re-make of the original film but is "a sort of combination of the whole series," a production source said.
Academy Award winner Rick Baker ("Ed Wood," "The Nutty Professor," "The Grinch") is head of makeup. He's also designed simians for "King Kong" and "Mighty Joe Young."
At the Maui Film Festival last spring, Burton told the Star-Bulletin his version is a "re-imagination" of the ape planet concept with "lots of action." The ape costumes reportedly have similar masks as the original, though updated to show more of the actor underneath.
Rick Heinrichs ("Sleepy Hollow," "The Big Lebowski") is the production designer; Danny Elfman, who wrote "The Simpsons" theme, is composer; Colleen Atwood ("Edward Scissorhands," and "Beloved") is costume designer. Cinematography is being done by Philippe Rousselot who worked on "Instinct."
At the New York International Toy Fair this month, Twentieth Century Fox screened some raw footage that was full of special effects.
The film's Web site -- http://www.planetoftheapes.com -- features a film trailer, interview with Tim Burton and several production photos.
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