Beneath the Planet of the Apes
All actors and roles (10)
All team (55)
Short description
Beneath the Planet of the Apes continues the story begun in the 1968 film, following a second astronaut, Brent, who is sent after the missing George Taylor. His spacecraft crashes on the same world, where apes rule and humans are mute and subjugated. Reunited with Nova, Taylor's companion, Brent seeks answers from the chimpanzee scientists Cornelius and Zira, learning that Taylor vanished after entering the Forbidden Zone. Brent sets out after him, and what he finds there brings him into conflict with the gorilla leadership and with a hidden society of humans.
The film was directed by Ted Post, released by 20th Century Fox with Arthur P. Jacobs producing from a screenplay by Paul Dehn and Mort Abrahams. It was Post's second feature, following Hang 'em High, and preceded Magnum Force and The Baby. James Franciscus plays Brent, with Kim Hunter and Maurice Evans returning as Zira and Dr. Zaius, Linda Harrison as Nova, Paul Richards as Mendez, and Charlton Heston appearing again as Taylor. Around thirty cast members and fifty-five crew are credited.
Made for about three million dollars, the film took roughly nineteen million worldwide, a strong return that confirmed the series as a viable franchise. On IMDb it holds a 6 out of 10 from around 57,000 votes, and on TMDB a 6.1 from about 1,500, suggesting a modest but durable reputation. A critics' score of 5.1 from thirty reviews places it below the audience figures.
What's left behind the scenes
- The original plot featured a child – half-human, half-monkey. The producers decided to remove him – to avoid confusing viewers and risking a G rating (all ages admitted).
- Charlton Heston did not want to return to play his character from the first film in the franchise. He agreed only on the condition that all scenes with him would be shot in two weeks. He also insisted that his character die. By agreement with the film's authors, he disappears at the very beginning of the film and reappears at the end to die.
- Don Medford (1917-2012) was initially appointed as the film's director, but he quit when the film's budget was halved.
- Natalie Trundie's first appearance in the 'Planet of the Apes' film franchise. Trundie and Norman Burton (1923-2003) were the only actors to play both a human and an ape.
- From the cast of "Planet of the Apes", only Charlton Heston (George Taylor), Kim Hunter (Zira), Maurice Evans (Dr. Zaius), and Linda Harrison (Nova) reprised their characters in this film.
- Due to the financial constraints faced by the filmmakers, some of the extras wear monkey masks instead of makeup.
- Filming took place on Prince Edward Island (one of Canada's Maritime Provinces) and in New Milford, Connecticut, USA.
- Burt Reynolds was considered for the role of John Brent, but James Franciscus was ultimately cast due to his resemblance to Charlton Heston (1923-2008), who played Taylor in "Planet of the Apes" (Franklin Schaffner, 1968).
- The underground hall of the mutant tribe's council used several modified sets from the Gene Kelly comedy "Hello, Dolly!", which had been released on screens the year before.
- Roddy McDowall, who played Cornelius in the first film of the franchise, was unable to participate in the filming of this sequel. He was at the time in Scotland, filming "Tam-Lin" (1970).
- The actual New York City subway station "Queensboro Plaza" is located above ground. Underground is the nearby "Queens Plaza" station.
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