Rare Look at Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Canceled Reboot of Iconic Sci-Fi Franchise Surfaces

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Details about a cancelled sequel starring Arnold Schwarzenegger have recently surfaced, revealing a special effects test that suggests the film would have been remarkably advanced for its time. Considering Schwarzenegger’s popular films like Predator, Total Recall, and Terminator, it’s surprising this Oliver Stone-produced project was never made.

In the 1990s, Arnold Schwarzenegger was planned to star in a new Planet of the Apes movie that aimed to revitalize the series. Author David Hughes revealed that several prominent filmmakers, including Sam Raimi, Terry Hayes, and James Cameron, were involved at various stages. Schwarzenegger would have played Will Robinson, a geneticist who discovers a global plague originates from the Stone Age. To understand the virus, he and his pregnant coworker would have to travel back in time to its source – a planet populated by apes who intensely dislike humans. The planned title for this ambitious sequel was Return of the Apes.

Stones’ Return of the Apes Was Nothing Short of Insanity

This is a makeup test for a planned version of “Planet of the Apes” that would have starred Arnold Schwarzenegger, been directed by Phillip Noyce, and had Oliver Stone as executive producer. The project was cancelled due to creative differences.

— R E P L I C A N T (@Roybattyforever) March 8, 2026

Despite having a lot of talented people involved, this Planet of the Apes sequel never got made, and there were a few reasons why. The script borrowed heavily from The Lord of the Rings, including locations like Middle-earth and characters with names like Aragorn and the Nazgûl, which likely caused issues. Stone’s vision also differed from previous films by featuring only gorillas, abandoning the orangutans and chimps. However, the main reason the studio cancelled the project was that they didn’t think it was funny enough – they wanted a lighter, more comedic tone. When writer Terry Hayes refused to add more humor, he was let go, and director Roland Stone soon followed.

Recently, some lost footage has surfaced online, and fans of the series are expressing disappointment about a scrapped version of the film. Apparently, this earlier script was very different from the final, more serious movies. It included bizarre ideas like apes preserved in cryosleep who held the key to biblical prophecies, time travel, and a lot more action and violence. One fan commented they would have preferred this version over Tim Burton’s adaptation.

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2026-03-09 00:15