David Oyelowo frowning at a computer screen in Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Despite having spawned three sequels, a sci-fi movie that debuted to excellent reviews and solid box-office response is largely overlooked. This is partially because at least two of its sequels were considered superior, but also because the franchise itself has sort of witnessed a decline in revenue over the years. This doesn’t mean that the studio, Disney, has given up on it. In fact, two separate movies are currently in different stages of development; one is a continuation of the main series, and the other is supposedly the start of another. None of it would have been possible without the success of the 2011 reboot, which is now coming to Hulu.
The movie was directed by Rupert Wyatt, who was unproven in the big-budget arena until then. He’d broken out with the British drama-thriller The Escapist, which grossed less than half-a-million dollars at the box office. Suddenly, Wyatt found himself with nearly $100 million to work with, marking one of the biggest budgetary leaps ever taken by a director. His movie ended up grossing nearly $500 million worldwide and received solid reviews. It was headlined by James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, and David Oyelowo, with Andy Serkis in a performance capture role that would go on to define the form.
Collider Exclusive · Sci-Fi Survival Quiz Which Sci-Fi World Would You Survive? The Matrix · Mad Max · Blade Runner · Dune · Star Wars
Five universes. Five completely different ways the future went wrong — or sideways, or up in flames. Only one of them is the world your instincts were built for. Eight questions will figure out which dystopia, galaxy, or desert wasteland you’d actually make it out of alive.
💊The Matrix
🔥Mad Max
🌧️Blade Runner
🏜️Dune
🚀Star Wars
01
You sense something is deeply wrong with the world around you. What do you do? The first instinct is often the truest one.
02
In a world of scarcity, what resource do you guard most fiercely? What we protect reveals what we believe survival actually requires.
03
What kind of threat keeps you up at night? Fear is useful data — if you’re honest about what you’re actually afraid of.
04
How do you deal with authority you don’t trust? Every dystopia has a power structure. Your approach to it determines everything.
05
Which environment could you actually endure long-term? Survival isn’t just tactical — it’s physical, psychological, and very much about where you are.
06
Who do you want in your corner when things fall apart? The company you keep is the clearest signal of who you actually are.
07
Where do you draw the line — if you draw one at all? Every survivor eventually faces a moment that tests what they’re actually made of.
08
What would actually make survival worth it? Staying alive is one thing. Having a reason to is another.
Your Fate Has Been Calculated You’d Survive In…
Your answers point to the world your instincts were built for. This is the universe your temperament, your survival instincts, and your particular brand of stubbornness were made for.
The Resistance, Zion
The Matrix
You took the red pill a long time ago — probably before anyone offered it to you. You’re a systems thinker who can’t help but notice the seams in things.
You’re drawn to understanding how the system works before figuring out how to break it.
You’d find the Resistance, or it would find you — your instinct for spotting constructed realities is the machines’ worst nightmare.
You function best when you have access to information and the freedom to act on it.
The Matrix built an airtight prison. You’d be the one probing the walls for the door.
The Wasteland
Mad Max
The wasteland doesn’t reward the clever or the well-connected — it rewards those who are hard to kill and harder to break. That’s you.
You don’t need comfort, community, or a cause larger than the next horizon.
You need a vehicle, a clear threat, and enough fuel to outrun it — and you’re good at all three.
You are unsentimental enough to survive that world, and decent enough — just barely — to be something more than another raider.
In the wasteland, that distinction is everything.
Los Angeles, 2049
Blade Runner
You’d survive here because you know how to exist in moral grey areas without losing yourself completely.
You read people accurately, keep your circle small, and ask the questions others prefer not to answer.
In a city where humanity is a legal designation rather than a feeling, you hold onto something that keeps you functional.
You’re not a hero. But you’re not lost, either.
In Blade Runner’s world, that distinction is everything.
Arrakis
Dune
Arrakis is the most hostile environment in the known universe — and you are precisely the kind of person it rewards.
Patience, discipline, and political awareness are your core strengths — and on Arrakis, they’re survival tools.
You understand that the long game matters more than any single victory.
Others come to Dune and are consumed by it. You’d learn its logic and earn its respect.
In time, you wouldn’t just survive Arrakis — you’d begin to reshape it.
A Galaxy Far, Far Away
Star Wars
The galaxy far, far away is vast, loud, and in a constant state of violent political upheaval — and you wouldn’t have it any other way.
You find meaning in being part of something larger than yourself — a cause, a crew, a rebellion.
You’d gravitate toward the Rebellion, or the fringes, or whatever pocket of the galaxy still believes the Empire’s grip can be broken.
You fight — not because you have to, but because standing aside isn’t something you’re capable of.
In Star Wars, that willingness is what makes all the difference.
Here’s When You Can Watch the Spectacular Franchise-Starter on Hulu
By now you’ve probably guessed that we’re talking about Rise of the Planet of the Apes. The movie holds a “Certified Fresh” 82% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the consensus reads, “Led by Rupert Wyatt’s stylish direction, some impressive special effects, and a mesmerizing performance by Andy Serkis, Rise of the Planet of the Apes breathes unlikely new life into a long-running franchise.” The movie was followed by two direct sequels — Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and War for the Planet of the Apes — directed by Matt Reeves. A soft reboot titled Kingdom of the Planet of the Apeswas released a couple of years ago; the movie is expected to be followed by a direct sequel of its own. Meanwhile, Disney is putting together an unrelated new Planet of the Apes movie, directed by Matt Shakman. Rise of the Planet of the Apes will be released on Hulu on July 1. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
