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Rupert Wyatt’sRise of the Planet of the Apesintroduced us not just to the ape protagonist, Caesar, but also to his human co-protagonist Dr. Will Rodman, played by James Franco. The first film in the successfulPlanet of the Apestrilogy centered around how Will adopted Caesar who gets increased intelligence from the ALZ-112 drug. Will survives the tragic events of the film, but it initially had planned a different climax for Franco’s character.
In the theatrical climax, Will finds Caesar and begs him to come home, but the latter prefers to stay with his new community of intelligent apes in the forest. Will’s fate is left to the viewer’s imagination as the deadly ALZ-113 begins to spread among humans in the end.
Rise of the Planet of the ApesHad A Different Ending For James Franco’s Will Rodman
James Franco‘s Will Rodman had all the right intentions in the film, but his reckless actions in the film set off the catastrophic events of not only the first movie but also the sequels. All Will cared for was the treatment of his father Charles’ Alzheimer’s disease. However, he failed to see the money-minded objectives of his greedy boss, Steven Jacobs, which created something deadlier than what he had intended.
“It doesn’t surpass what Andy Serkis did with his trilogy”: Reviews For Wes Ball’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Proves It May be the Best Movie Franchise We Have Right Now
As for Will’s whereabouts in the sequelDawn of the Planet of the Apes, producer Dylan Clark confirmed that both Will and his girlfriend Caroline, played byFreida Pinto, were probably killed in the deadly pandemic. According to Clark, both characters were“ground zero”during the outbreak of ALZ-113, the more powerful version of the drug developed by Will.
During an interview with Collider, Clark shared that they had planned a different ending for Franco’s character. They initially decided that Will would be killed at the end of the movie trying to save Caesar. Clark shared that it would’ve been the right thing, considering his involvement in the whole ordeal.
However, it was later discarded since the“staging”of his death was poorly handled in the alternate ending. Clark shared withCollider:
“Yeah, it did, and it’s not really a story. The truth is, we didn’t go with it not because it was a bummer ending. It was actually the right thing. When we developed the script it was Dr. Frankenstein — he must be punished for his involvement. He’s culpable in this whole thing. So it seemed narratively correct.”
The alternate ending would’ve alsoimpacted Caesar’s arc in a different way, which meantMatt Reeves‘ brilliant sequels would’ve been very different. However, the consensus among those involved in the trilogy suggests that Will Rodman indeed became a victim of his own creation.
James Franco’s Character Not Getting His Poetic Justice Could Be The Movie’s Only Flaw
Coming afterTim Burton‘s disastrous rebootPlanet of the Apes, the Rupert Wyatt film was a great relief to the audiences. The film received critical acclaim, with praises for the direction of the film, visual effects, andAndy Serkis‘ performance. If critics had one contentious issue about the film, it would’ve been the way James Franco’s character was left off in the series.
Many felt that he should’ve been held responsible for the events in the movie. But it could be argued that he didn’t get a free pass exactly. Even if the cardinal rule about movie deaths prevailed and Will Rodman survived the pandemic, it would still have been a hell of a life. Death would’ve been a kinder fate for the character. Eventually, Will must have paid for his deeds one way or another.
“It’s fair to say that’s pretty method”: Andy Serkis’ Extreme Method Acting Technique for Lord of the Rings May be Why He’s So Good in Planet of the Apes
The film collected $481.8 million at the box office (via Box Office Mojo) and earned two nominations at the 84th Academy Awards. The subsequent films outperformed the first film both critically and commercially. A fourth film,Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, is scheduled to be released on July 08, 2025.
The modernPlanet of the Apestrilogy is now available for streaming on Hulu.
Hashim Asraff
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3017
Hashim Asraff is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,800 articles published on celebrity culture, comic book movies, and major TV franchises. With a background in Sociology and a keen interest in pop culture, Hashim brings a unique lens to breaking news stories, character deep-dives, film rankings, and fan-driven perspectives.His coverage often includes the MCU, DCU, hit network shows, and celebrity profiles, giving readers a rich blend of entertainment and analysis. A longtime fan of crime and investigative series, Hashim has watched thousands of episodes of NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, Bones, Blue Bloods, and The RookieA passionate storyteller and wordsmith, Hashim has also worked as a ghostwriter and managed multiple social media handles. He brought his writing expertise to FandomWire to also pursue his lifelong love for cinema and television.
