It looks like some details from the cancelled sequel that would have starred Arnold Schwarzenegger have finally come to light, including a prosthetics test that proved this movie could have been years ahead of its time—at least in terms of special effects. And with titles like Predator, Total Recall, and Terminator to the star’s name, it’s honestly a little surprising that this Oliver Stone-produced revival never saw the light of day.
It was during the 90s that the action star was slated to star in the sequel to the Planet of the Apes franchise, with hopes that it would take the films in an entirely new direction. It also came to light, thanks to author David Hughes, that big names like Sam Raimi, Terry Hayes, and James Cameron were attached to the film at one point or another, and that Schwarzenegger was set to play a geneticist named Will Robinson who discovers that a plague sweeping the world has its roots in the Stone Age. Of course, his only option to truly study the virus is to time-travel to the source alongside his pregnant colleague. And, of course, during this journey, they discover a planet of apes with a deep hatred for humans. The name of the film? Return of the Apes.
Stones’ Return of the Apes Was Nothing Short of Insanity
Ésta es la prueba de cámara de maquillaje de una versión de “El planeta de los simios” que iba a ser protagonizada por Arnold Schwarzenegger, dirigida por Phillip Noyce y con Óliver Stone como productor ejecutivo. Se canceló por diferencias creativas.pic.twitter.com/1bsji1zSj2
— R E P L I C A N T (@Roybattyforever) March 8, 2026
And that might have something to do with why it never made it to the big screen despite all the talent attached to the project. It could also have something to do with the fact that there is an area on this particular planet of the apes called Middle-earth, as well as characters named Aragorn, Magog, Nazgul, and Strider. And gone would be the orangutans and chimps featured in all the other Planet of the Apes films—Stone’s version would showcase only a race of gorillas. The real kicker that had the movie shelved, though? The studio felt that the film wasn’t funny enough, having decided that what the people wanted wasn’t a sci-fi political action. And when writer Terry Hayes (Road Warrior) wasn’t willing to include more comedic scenes in his vision, he was fired from the project, with Stone leaving shortly after.
And now that some new footage has found its way to the internet, franchise fans are lamenting what could have been. “It’s said that, unlike the seriousness of the original movies, this script included very strange elements: apes frozen in cryogenization who possessed the Bible’s numerical secrets, time travel, and much more action and violence. I would have loved to see this much more than the crap that Tim Burton made,” said one fan.
Would you have preferred this version of Planet of the Apes to the films that we’ve ended up with today? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. And don’t forget to check out the ComicBook forum to keep the conversation going with other sci-fi fans.