In all eight movies thus far, Ulysse Mérou has failed to manifest. Ulysse who? Exactly. Nobody knows who Ulysse is and yet he is a pivotal character in the novel. He is essentially whom Charlton Hestons George Taylor becomes in Planet of the Apes, except he is more rational, less angry, and completely more likeable. The story of Ulysse combines elements of both Planet of the Apes movies (the sensational 1968 one, and the not-so-sensational 2001 one) in that an ape-ruled world is discovered, and a pet monkey travels to that world along with the human characters. The 1968 movie however fails to include the rich mythology of the novel in which racial memory decrees the fall of human civilisation and the rise of their ape inferiors. Again this is touched upon in subsequent movies, not not to the full extent of the novel. Ulysse Mérou would be an excellent way to take this franchise into the future. Whilst were not necessarily saying the filmmakers should gloss over Caesar, we are suggesting that they should in fact take Caesar with them. Yes, Caesar could become Ulysses so-called pet, and travel into the future with him. That way the franchise-seller stays alive, despite the story flashing hundreds of years into the future. So how would this all work out? We envisage that the third film could show a continuation of the aforementioned war, but show that both sides are failing. Caesars family has been wiped out and Jason Clarkes Malcolm has befallen a similar fate to that of James Francos Will Rodman. Desperate and knowing the end is imminent, Caesar could stumble across a scientist named Ulysse on the brink of creating a radical plan and help him complete it. The third film could then end with both Ulysse and Caesar fleeing a ravaged world, and a fourth film could see them arrive upon the Planet of the Apes in the future. This way a likeable, emphatic human character would exist alongside those of the apes. Whilst this idea may seem radical to some, it would allow the new franchise to take elements from both the original series and the original novel to create something entirely captivating. And how would all of this ultimately play out? Well, we have a fourth movie somewhat mapped out in which, after discovering the Planet of the Apes and the horrors befalling both human and ape alike, Ulysse and Caesar travel back to Earth as they know it except that gorillas are policemen, and they drive jeeps. Yes, many found the ending to Tim Burtons 2001 film to be a completely mind boggling culmination, but such an event does occur in the novel. Unfortunately it isnt followed up with a sequel, so a fifth movie in this new franchise could finally resolve this half-a-century-old plot. So what do you think of our ideas of the possible directions the Ape franchise can delve into? Let us know in the comments below.
