While the Planet of the Apes franchise has some of the most iconic films in sci-fi history, it missed out on one project that could have brought The Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson and Arnold Schwarzenegger together. And today, it remains a fascinating "what if" for fans. This is one of the oldest and most popular franchises, with the first film released in 1968. 

After several sequels, the franchise remained dormant until the 2011 hit movie. But before that, a new Planet of the Apes movie was being discussed, as Peter Jackson recently revealed. The filmmaker has finally opened up about the scrapped project and explained how it all fell apart.

Peter Jackson recently revealed in a conversation with IndieWire that he once had the opportunity to work on a Planet of the Apes movie. The project also had notable names attached, including James Cameron and Arnold Schwarzenegger. While it had the potential to become one of Hollywood's biggest collaborations, Jackson admitted that he felt he would not have had much creative freedom with both of them involved in the project.

It was hard for us to figure out how to put them into our story outline,” Jackson said. “I hadn’t met Jim at that time, so that was kind of serious. I thought, ‘God, I don’t want to direct a movie that has Schwarzenegger and Cameron. I have no power at all.’”

During the interview, Jackson further revealed that the movie was titled The Renaissance of the Planet of the Apes. He had also worked on a script with Fran Walsh that would have brought Roddy McDowall back to the franchise. Although sci-fi director Peter Hyams had stepped in to helm the project, he reportedly exited, leading James Cameron and Arnold Schwarzenegger to depart as well. The film ultimately fell apart. 

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While Jackson did not get a chance to direct a Planet of the Apes movie, he had another iconic film of the same genre to his name.

In 2005, Peter Jackson got the chance to direct King Kong. It remains one of the most beloved adaptations of the classic story and won three Academy Awards for Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing. The film also marked Andy Serkis' first motion-capture performance as Kong.

The movie follows a group of filmmakers who travel to Skull Island to shoot their latest film, only to encounter one of the island's mysterious and dangerous tribes. They also discover a giant ape named Kong, who eventually falls in love with the film's leading lady, Anne Darrow. Following the latest Planet of the Apes movie, King Kong could be the perfect watch for fans looking for another epic adventure featuring giant apes.

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What do you think about Peter Jackson making a Planet of Apes movie? Let us know in the comments.