Hollywood’s two iconic ape franchises have already collided, but not on the big screen. Planet of the Apes and King Kong tap into the human fear of the wild and the ancient, depicting humankind as powerless in the face of their closest relatives in terms of evolution.
The Planet of the Apes franchise has engaged in several notable crossover projects, most prominently through Boom! Studios’ intercompany events. These include Planet of the Apes/Green Lantern, and Star Trek/Planet of the Apes: The Primate Directive. Meanwhile, the King Kong brand has a longer and more eclectic crossover history, from the multiple King Kong vs. Godzilla match-ups to DC and Legendary’s Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong.
Curiously, the two franchises’ one official crossover flew largely under the radar.
Kong On The Planet Of The Apes Is A Winning Formula
Kong On The Planet Of The Apes; Written by Ryan Ferrier; Art by Carlos Magno & Alex Guimaraes
The King wipes blood off his body in Kong on the Planet of the Apes
Published by BOOM! Studios in 2017, Kong on the Planet of the Apes is a six-issue miniseries that bridges two of the most iconic ape franchises in cinematic history. Written by Ryan Ferrier with illustrations by Carlos Magno, it serves as a direct sequel to the original 1968 Planet of the Apes film while incorporating the mythos of the 1933 King Kong movie. The plot kicks off when Dr. Zaius, Cornelius, and Zira discover the skeletal remains of a giant ape in the Forbidden Zone, leading them on an expedition to the legendary Skull Island.
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Whereas most comic crossovers lean on the title match, Kong on the Planet of the Apes treats both properties with intellectual reverence. It uses Kong’s physical presence to challenge the philosophical and sociological dogmas of the Planet of the Apes universe. Visually, Carlos Magno’s gritty, textured art style perfectly captures the lived-in feel of both worlds. Despite both being staples of pop culture for decades, King Kong and the Planet of the Apes’ crossover only materialized in 2017.
Kong On The Planet Of The Apes May Never Happen On The Big Screen
Kong And The Planet Of The Apes Work Best In Comic Book Form
The King lies unconscious next to the Statue of Liberty in Kong on the Planet of the Apes
While the idea is exciting, a cinematic crossover between Kong and the Planet of the Apes is close to impossible. Planet of the Apes is a crown jewel of 20th Century Studios, now under Disney, while the film rights to King Kong are notoriously fragmented between Warner Bros. (the MonsterVerse), Universal (theme parks), and the estate of creator Merian C. Cooper. A comic publisher like BOOM! Studios can navigate these waters by licensing specific iterations for a limited print run, but a multi-million dollar blockbuster would require a treaty between rival studios.
Unlike the Marvel/Sony deal for Spider-Man, there’s little incentive for Disney to share its prestigious Apes IP with a competitor, especially when both franchises are currently thriving independently. Even if the legal red tape were cleared, the tonal dissonance is a significant roadblock. The modern Planet of the Apes movies are celebrated for their grounded realism, whereas the current MonsterVerse Kong is a skyscraper-sized fantasy titan who fights mechanical dragons.
A Kong on the Planet of the Apes movie is technically easier than similar comic events like Planet of the Apes versus Fantastic Four, which would require coordinating dozens of A-list actors, but it would still be a logistical nightmare. To realize the comics’ visceral scale, a film would need to commit to a budget that exceeds standard blockbusters. In an industry increasingly wary of high-risk gambles, such an ambitious idea on paper may forever be deemed too legally expensive and logistically messy for the silver screen.
What do you think about Kong on the Planet of the Apes’ story?
Created by
Pierre Boulle
Cast
Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans, James Whitmore, Linda Harrison, Mark Wahlberg, Helena Bonham Carter, Tim Roth, Michael Clarke Duncan, Paul Giamatti, James Franco, Andy Serkis, John Lithgow, Freida Pinto, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Jason Clarke, Toby Kebbell, Judy Greer, Woody Harrelson, Amiah Miller, Kevin Durand, Dichen Lachman, William H. Macy, Owen Teague, Freya Allan
Video Game(s)
Planet of the Apes, Revenge of the Apes, Planet of the Apes: Last Frontier, Crisis on the Planet of the Apes
TV Show(s)
Planet of the Apes, Return to the Planet of the Apes
Created by
Merian C. Cooper, Edgar Wallace
Video Game(s)
Peter Jackson’s King Kong
Movie(s)
King Kong (1933), Son of Kong, King Kong vs. Godzilla, King Kong Escapes, King Kong, King Kong Lives, The Mighty Kong, King Kong, Kong: King of Atlantis, Kong: Return to the Jungle, Kong: Skull Island, Godzilla vs. Kong, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire