![James Franco will star in "Rise of the Apes," a new chapter in the famed "Planet of the Apes" saga](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/large_lightbox/hash/28/38/28381c3ea83cc743481c9981b469ec70.jpg "James Franco will star in "Rise of the Apes," a new chapter in the famed "Planet of the Apes" saga")
That 21st century renaissance man, James Franco, is about to get his genre on again. Word is he's going to tackle the leading role in 20th Century Fox's 'Rise of the Apes.'
The age of the reboot has taken a strong hold with the creative minds at 20th Century Fox. With the studio preparing for "Predators" to relaunch one of its most enduring properties on July 9, it is already planning ahead for 2011. "Rise of the Apes," a sort-of prequel to its 2001 "Planet of the Apes" re-do helmed by Tim Burton, looks to have found its leading man...James Franco.
Franco, who is very hot on Fox's mind thanks to his stellar work on Danny Boyle's "127 Hours," will portray a young scientist caught in the genetics crossfire when experiments with apes leads to their developing hyper-intelligence. The inevitable consequences unleashes an epic battle between man and animal.
Production on "Rise of the Apes" is set to begin on July 5. Directed by Rupert Wyatt, the film is set for release during the summer of 2011. Chernin Entertainment's Peter Chernin and Dylan Clark are producers with producing with screenwriters Amanda Silver and Rick Jaffa. Silver and Jaffa wrote the script. Peter Jackson's WETA Digital will handle the visual effects for the project.
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