Cameron May Remake ‘Apes’
There’s been talk that “Titanic” director James Cameron wants to remake the cult classic “Planet of The Apes,” and Charlton Heston, a star in the original, is all for the idea.
“I think the film is highly remarkable,” Heston told writers attending the Television Critics Association summer press tour here.
Heston starred in the first as the leader of American astronauts who found a world in which apes were the master race and humans were non-speaking slaves. It also starred Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter and Linda Harrison.
The original spawned four other “Apes” films, all of which will air on cable’s AMC in September along with a two-hour behind-the-scenes special airing on Sept. 6.
“Good movies are remade,” Heston said.
Kevin Burns, the executive producer of AMC’s special, “Behind the Planet of the Apes,” told writers he’s heard about remake discussions within the halls of 20th Century Fox, which produced the originals.
“I had heard that Mr. Cameron was working on a screenplay,” he said. “That there was a draft expected from him, expected by the end of the year. But, I’ve also heard rumors to the contrary. But I do know that it’s as real as what I just told you. In other words, it has been under serious consideration as his next (project).”
‘All in Family’ returning
Classic series channel TV Land will kick off its acquisition of the groundbreaking 1971 comedy “All in the Family” with the first-ever full airing of one of the three pilots for the show on Oct. 5 at 10 p.m.
When the show first aired on CBS in 1971, “All in the Family” openly dealt with bigotry and revolved around Archie Bunker (Carroll O’Connor), his wife Edith (Jean Stapleton), his daughter Gloria (Sally Struthers) and his son-in-law Mike (Rob Reiner).
Before the show was picked up, it had a slightly different spin. In one of the pilots first submitted to ABC by producer Norman Lear, Archie’s surname was Justice, and Gloria and Mike were played by others. In the CBS series Mike was Polish, but in the pilot he was Irish, which changed the topic of Archie’s jokes.
Cosby cartoon in works
Bill Cosby will executive-produce “Little Bill,” a new animated series for Nickelodeon based on the comic’s successful series of kids’ books.
“Little Bill” looks at life through the eyes of a 5-year-old. Each half-hour episode will include two stories that explore ordinary and extraordinary events in the life of kids. The show will be produced at Nickelodeon’s animation facility in New York.