The Planet Of The Apes franchise has been in existence since the '60s. It first began with five original films that released between 1968 and 1973. A remake of the first film was later announced but it ended up languishing in development hell for close to three decades. The film was finally released in 2001.
However, the franchise was rebooted again with a new series that began in 2011. The latest films have been widely popular, with each making close to a billion dollars at the box office. In total, there has been 9 Planet Of The Apes films. Here is a ranking of the posters for each film in the franchise.
Planet Of The Apes (1968)
Not much effort was put into the making of this poster and the dullness is evident. In an era where most movie posters looked like they had been designed by Vincent Van Gogh or Pablo Picasso, the artwork for Planet Of The Apes feels rushed. There are people inside a cage and that's it.
The first-ever film in the series was adapted from the French novel La Planète des Singes by Pierre Boulle. Planet Of The Apes is set on a planet where apes are the dominant species while humans are mute, primitive, and happen to wear animals skins as clothes. Bad poster aside, the film was praised for its use of unique prosthetic makeup techniques that had never been seen in film before.
Conquest Of The Planet Of The Apes (1972)
Apart from the cool artwork showing the apes matching together, the other details in the poster lack any form of creativity. The block title might have looked good back then but by today's standards, it feels a bit excessive and unnecessary.
Conquest Of The Planet Of The Apes is set in a world where apes have been domesticated and turned into work slaves. They suffer all kinds of mistreatment as humans relax and enjoy life. Eventually, one ape feels he's had enough and decides to lead a revolt against humans. Basically a ripoff of the Spartacus plot?
Escape From The Planet Of The Apes (1971)
The poster is much better than the previous two. The portrait of a nuclear ape family wearing matching outfits has the potential of drawing curiosity in anyone who doesn't know about the film series yet.
In Escape From the Planet of The Apes, the ape couple Cornelius and Zira, flee their doomed planet by time-traveling. They find themselves in the late 20th Century Earth but their arrival is met with hostility and suspicion from humans. The plot touched on many key global issues at the time such as nuclear war, scientific experimentation on animals, and government intrusion into the privacy of citizens.
War For The Planet Of The Apes (2017)
There are many other posters like this but that doesn't take away from its coolness. An ape is on the front and a girl is at the back, implying that she is seeking protection from it. What exactly is happening? The movie has all the answers.
The plot sees ape leader Caesar facing off against an army of determined humans led by a fearless Colonel. Many apes lose their lives during battle and this transforms Ceasar into an ape with a darker soul as he seeks to avenge his fallen kind. The film received an Oscar nomination for Best Visual Effects at the 90th Academy Awards
Beneath The Planet Of The Apes (1970)
The title of the font looks good and so do the larger images of the ape and what appears to be a human-looking in different directions. At the bottom, there are humans who look like they are escaping. via a tunnel. That explains the "beneath" in the title. They must be somewhere under the ground.
In Beneath The Planet Of The Apes, another astronaut named Brent crashes his spacecraft on the planet inhabited by intelligent apes. he soon discovers a huge underground city that's inhabited by humans who possess psychic powers. A novel and a comic book about the film were also released.
Planet Of The Apes (2001)
In the poster, the apes are donning battle gear, giving them a Roman-like look. The poster promises an intense battle, probably against humans. It also gives the impression that the film might be set in the BC era. But that's not really the case. It's even better.
Planet Of The Apes follows astronaut Leo Davidson whose ship malfunctions, forcing him to crash-land on a strange planet. It turns out the planet is inhabited by high-IQ apes. The apes also happen to be holding humans as slaves. A disgruntled ape named Ari doesn't like how humans are treated so he helps Leo start a rebellion.
Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes (2011)
The reason why the poster is so beautiful is that the ape appears to be leading a successful protest. The hand is up in the air, signifying a relentless attitude. There are also a couple of other apes in the background. Far away, a bridge appears to have been destroyed, meaning the apes are really about to take over.
Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes has a premise that's almost similar to the fourth film in the original series. In it, a form of treatment meant to treat brain damage is administered to a chimpanzee named Caesar and ends up giving him an advanced IQ. He goes on to give the same treatment to other apes in the animal shelter where he is held at. The apes thus decide to revolt against humanity.
Battle For The Planet Of The Apes (1973)
First things first, that ape has a nice belt. There's a lot taking place in the poster. The fierce battle between soldiers and apes on the ground looks great, and so do the ape pictures at the bottom that remind one of "early man." But the best part about the poster is definitely the ape holding a human up high like a WWE superstar.
Battle For The Planet Of The Apes was the fifth and final installment in the original Planet Of The Apes film series. The movie follows the ape leader Caesar as he tries to create a new society many years after a nuclear war has killed the majority of humans. Ceasar also tries to juggle family life as well as the constant headaches brought about by the few remaining humans.
Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes (2014)
Nothing looks cooler than an ape riding a horse. The ape looks like its the Che Guevera of the animal kingdom. It's leading a revolution. But what exactly is going on? Such is the question that pops up in the mind of anyone who sees the poster, making them eager to see the movie.
Events in Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes happen a decade after the vents in Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes. The plot revolves around a group of humans in San Francisco who struggle to survive in a world ruled by apes after a plague wipes out most of humanity. The movie grossed over $710 million globally against a budget of $170 million.