Let the battle between apes and humans begin.

Production of one of filmdom's most recognizable franchises, "Planet of the Apes," begins tomorrow on the Big Island with location shooting scheduled for about a week in well-secured private and public property. 

One of the major production areas will be a desolate, desert-like lava field (in the Kalapana area just outside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park) that will form the backdrop for a major battle scene featuring horse-riding apes.

More than 250 cast and crew from Los Angeles for the Twentieth Century Fox science-action adventure are staying in Kohala Coast hotels during the production. The film is directed by Tim Burton and stars Mark Wahlberg as astronaut Leo Davidson.

Other actors include Tim Roth (as the ape Thade); Helena Bonham Carter (Ari); Paul Giamatti (Limbo); Michael Clarke Duncan (Attar); Estella Warren (Daena); Kauai resident Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (Krull); Glenn Shadix (Sen. Nado); David Warner (Sen. Sandar); Kris Kristofferson (Karubi); Erick Avari (Tival); Evan Dexter Parke (Gunnar); Luke Eberl (Birn) and original cast members Linda Harrison and Charlton Heston in cameo roles.

"Planet" is the most prominent film since "Waterworld" -- which cost about $175 million -- to use the Big Island as a location. Published reports say the budget of "Planet" could reach $150 million.
Released in 1968, the original "Planet of the Apes" became an instant sci-fi classic that thrilled critics and audiences with its smart script, social commentary and famous surprise ending. Work on sequels began almost immediately, and the franchise spawned four more films and two TV shows before petering out in the mid-1970s.

"We're so pleased to be involved in a Tim Burton film," said Marilyn Killeri, Big Island film commissioner. "Visually he's a genius; whatever he puts on the screen is absolutely gorgeous."

Neither a direct remake of the classic that starred Heston nor a close adaptation of the novel by Pierre Boulle, this version, from a script by William Broyles Jr., is instead a "re-imagination" of the ape-planet concept, Burton said.

"The film is inspired by the entire series of 'Planet of the Apes,' rather than just the first film," he said.

Richard D. Zanuck, who was in charge of Twentieth Century Fox when the studio made the original "Apes" 33 years ago, told Variety that "the idea of the whole upside-down world where men are the servants and apes are in charge is the same.

"Outside of that, they're entirely new characters, an entirely different story," he said.

There are still lots of people in ape costumes, similar to the masks from the original, only updated and more articulated to better show off the actors beneath. The make-up work is being done by five-time Academy Award-winner Rick Baker. 

Other regular Burton crew members include Academy Award-winning production designer Rick Heinrichs, Academy Award-nominated composer Danny Elfman and Academy Award-nominated costume designer Colleen Atwood.

Some 200 potential extras showed up last week at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel hoping to get a chance at portraying human slaves. Casting officials were looking for 10 men, five women and eight children. One extra would be a stand-in for "Green Mile" star Michael Clarke Duncan. Wardrobe fitting is today.

Reportedly, there is a big shocker ending, perhaps as shocking to modern audiences as the Statue of Liberty shot at the end of the original, sources said.

Here's the story through various public reports, though the script is top secret: After crash- landing on a strange alien world, American astronaut Leo Davidson soon discovers the dominant species are simians: apes and monkeys have fashioned an intelligent but savage civilization. In this world, human beings are considered at best slaves; at worst, nuisances to be destroyed.

Davidson soon finds he has allies in this strange place, including the nomadic beauty Daena, her tribal father Karubi, and Ari, a chimpanzee who favored human rights long before she found herself drawn to Davidson. 

As the brutal Gen. Thade closes in on Davidson and his newfound companions, the stranded astronaut must make his way through the barren landscape the apes call "the Forbidden Zone" to learn the ancient and terrible secret history that birthed the planet of the apes.

One of the transportation expenses was shipping a large number of the elaborate ape costumes to the Big Island.

The suits contain more than 20 separate pieces, including a full body unitard and an upper- torso muscle suit. This hooks under the crotch then snaps in the back. Then there's a heavy pair of pants held up with suspenders.

Then comes the upper torso jacket, which the wearer must step through a belt to get in.

Once that's on, the actors must hook fasteners around their chests and zip them up, then belt on armor for the upper thighs. There's shin armor, boots -- black aqua socks modified with extended ape toes on the ends -- larger black boots with fur up the tongue, chest hair pieces, then heavy chest and shoulder armor. Masks are either full head masks or come with velcro straps around the back.

According to earlier casting reports, actors under 5-foot-10 were cast as chimps; those 5-foot-11 and over as gorillas.

The makeup has a high standard to meet as the original film earned a special Oscar for transforming scores of actors into a believable army of intelligent simians.

The soldier apes will be replicated via computer to number in the thousands.

The film's release date is July 27.

One of Korea's top actors, Park Jung-hun, will star in an upcoming Hollywood film directed by Academy award-winning moviemaker Jonathan Demme ("The Silence of the Lambs" and "Philadelphia"). 

Park will be one of the leading characters in the movie titled "The Truth About Charlie," a $50 million mystery thriller that will co-star big names like Mark Wahlberg ("Perfect Storm"), Thandie Newton ("Mission Impossible 2") and probably either Tim Robbins or Jean Reno. 

"I was cast after Demme saw my film 'Nowhere to Hide' first at the Sundance Film Festival and then again when it debuted in theaters last November," Park said at a press conference yesterday. "He had told me before how he admired my acting, so I wasn't very surprised when I received the casting offer." 

"The Truth About Charlie" is a remake of classic film "Charade" featuring Audrey Hepburn. It's a mystery surrounding a beautiful woman and a $10 million diamond. 

Park will play an ex-special agent who is assigned to protect Newton, but seeks to find the diamond for himself. His role is comic but serious, too. He reportedly will be appearing in about 50 percent of the scenes. 

"My greatest concern when I first heard the offer was that the role will be a stereotypical Asian - nerdy or comic - and I voiced my concerns to the director. I only decided to take the part when he assured me that this wasn't going to be the case," the actor said. 

Park will receive a guaranteed $325,000 for the upcoming role. 

Park said that he has indirectly been preparing for his "real" debut in Hollywood with his previous U.S. film "Double Edge" (Korean title, "American Dragon"), which was released mostly on cable stations. He studied English at a New York university for a year in the early 1990s. 

The actor debuted in the Korean film industry in 1985 with "Cambo," for which he received a best new actor award. His representative films include "Nowhere to Hide" (1999), the "Two Cops" series (1993 and 1996) and "Chil-soo and Man-soo" (1988). 

His most recent film is the romantic drama "A Masterpiece in My Life," which is currently playing in the theaters. 

Park is now working on director Kim Sung-hong's "Say Yes," a psychological thriller in which he plays a serial killer. The film will open in June, at which time Park will fly to the United States to begin working on "The Truth About Charlie." 

HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - Movie theater operators, many of them in dire financial straits, are already humming with anticipation about the studios' summer release schedules. And the song they're humming is ``That Old Feeling.''

The season's film slate tilts toward sequels, historic epics, adaptations of popular video games, a remake (though the studio insistently labels it an original) and Steven Spielberg's return to sci-fi with ``A.I. Artificial Intelligence.''

But the specter of 2000's bummer summer looms large. With a pack of films that was similarly ``safe,'' last season's box office notched the first year-to-year decline since 1991 -- a 5% drop to $2.6 billion from a record $2.8 billion mark in 1999. The dropoff is key because major studios bring in about 45% of their annual revenue between May and August. The general rule of thumb is that movie theaters keep about half the gross.

So far, 2001 grosses are up an astounding 22% over 2000 levels, which raises the big question for summer: will the schedule of big, familiar-sounding films rev up the box office engine, or will it create a serious speed bump?

Twisted Expectations

Familiarity can breed contempt, especially among fickle audiences and itchy-fingered exhibitors. But the industry is betting that familiarity done with the right twist can yield profitable results.

Last year's offerings displayed a numbingly predictable profile; the 2001 crop could match or even surpass that, but studio executives and exhibitors are optimistic, since this summer's ``safe'' fare carries a considerable pedigree and promises some intriguing tinkering with the formulas.

Among sequels on tap are Universal's ``The Mummy Returns'' Fox's ``Doctor Dolittle 2,'' Miramax's ``Scary Movie 2,'' New Line's ``Rush Hour 2'' and Universal's ``Jurassic Park 3'' and ``American Pie 2.''

Video game veterans are quite familiar with the franchises that spawned actioners ``Tomb Raider'' (from Paramount) and ``Final Fantasy'' (Sony), while two of the biggest-budget pictures break ground while treading on recognizable turf: Disney's ``Pearl Harbor'' and Fox's ``Planet of the Apes.''

Even some of the release dates are clones.

``The Mummy Returns'' occupies its predecessor's early May slot; ditto for ``Scary Movie 2.'' The Martin Lawrence laffer from MGM, ``What's the Worst That Can Happen?,'' has the same early June slot as the comedian's 2000 hit ``Big Momma's House.''

And a year after Disney opened the computer-animated ``Dinosaur'' in the third weekend in May, DreamWorks' computer-animated ``Shrek'' will try that identical frame.

``There are a lot of well-known properties out there,'' noted Jeff Blake, Sony's distribution and marketing president.

That pattern is one reason Blake is high on ``A Knight's Tale,'' an offbeat Heath Ledger starrer set in medieval times that boasts a rock soundtrack.

``On paper, it's not a certain blockbuster, but every summer there is something different that really stands out and breaks through,'' he said.

Breakthroughs beget momentum, as last July taught us. After a dismal June that featured a dearth of big releases, ``The Perfect Storm'' ``Scary Movie,'' ``X-Men'' and ``What Lies Beneath'' outperformed expectations to boost the box office to its best showing ever in that month.

If any of the less-heralded pictures can similarly catch fire this time, many box office observers see a sizzling summer.

``It's an unusually good product mix,'' said Fox co-chairman Tom Rothman. ``Also, the summer starts early and ends late.''

Added Dick Cook, chairman of Walt Disney Picture Group: ``I feel like it could be the best summer ever.''

From the looks of it, the only thing studios have to fear is ``Pearl Harbor'' itself. Consider:

- Tentpoles are spread farther apart. The 37 wide releases planned for early May through Labor Day represent a decrease from 41 in 2000 and 48 in 1999.

``The Mummy Returns'' will kick things off May 4, while ''Pearl Harbor'' launches Memorial Day. ``A.I.'' is slotted for the last weekend in June, followed by ``Planet of the Apes'' July 27.

That leaves potentially lucrative seams to be mined by contenders including Warner Bros.' ``Swordfish'' and ``Cats and Dogs,'' Disney's ``Atlantis,'' Fox's ``Moulin Rouge,'' MGM's ``Original Sin,'' Paramount's ``The Score,'' Universal's ``The Fast and the Furious'' Sony-Revolution's ``America's Sweethearts'' and ``Animal'' and DreamWorks' ``Evolution.''

``Things do look nicely paced,'' said Tom Borys, president of box office tracker ACNielsenEDI, ``but there's no room for missteps when you're trying to get to that level. You can't have potholes like we did in June last year.''

- There are not as many head-to-head battles.

Last year, in an epic July Fourth duel, Sony's ``The Patriot'' faced off against Warner Bros.' ``Perfect Storm,'' with Universal's ``The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle'' also bowing wide. Memorial Day featured ``Shanghai Noon'' vs. ``Mission: Impossible 2.''

This time, ``Pearl Harbor'' should have Memorial Day to itself. On June 29, effectively the start of the July Fourth holiday frame, ``A.I.'' will be opposed only by Sony's ``Baby Boy,'' a midbudget drama from director John Singleton.

There will be a few skirmishes -- ``Atlantis'' vs. ``Tomb Raider'' June 15, four wide releases June 8 and three battling July 13 -- but nothing that will make or break a studio's fortunes.

- Summer is longer than ever.

Early May has for years marked the start of summer, even though the season's statistics don't start counting until the Friday before Memorial Day. In a new wrinkle, ``The Mummy Returns'' already is widely viewed as a strong contender, whereas ``Gladiator,'' ``Deep Impact'' and the first ``Mummy'' were surprises when they hit big in previous early May weekends.

In the back half of summer, ``Planet of the Apes,'' ``Jurassic 3'' and ``Rush Hour 2'' all offer a promise to carry through to Labor Day. ``American Pie 2,'' Warner's ``Osmosis Jones,'' Disney's ``The Princess Diaries,'' Miramax's ``Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back'' and MGM's ``Rollerball'' also are set for the season's final six weeks.

During the 2000 holiday period, ``Charlie's Angels'' and ``Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas'' reminded everyone how a few strong season-openers can energize the whole period.

This summer, the industry is counting on curtain-raisers ``The Mummy Returns'' and ``Pearl Harbor'' to do similar heavy lifting.

Already in the books as the highest-budgeted film ever greenlit (at $135 million), ``Pearl Harbor'' is drawing comparisons to another pricey historic epic.

``It looks like it could be a 'Titanic' kind of draw, with a lot of action and a lot to bring in young girls,'' observed Tom Sherak, a partner at Revolution Studios.

``Pearl'' didn't have the budget overages and studio anxiety that ``Titanic'' did -- in fact, producer Jerry Bruckheimer joked that the two have ``only the sinking part'' in common.

But the Michael Bay-helmed megapic ``comes with great expectations, no question about it,'' said Disney distribution chief Chuck Viane.

The word ``expectations'' certainly can be applied to ``A.I.,'' but in the case of Warner's picture -- Spielberg's first in three years -- no one seems to know exactly what to expect. Will it be ``E.T.'' with snazzier effects? Will it bear any marks of Stanley Kubrick, who developed it? Will it vault Jude Law and Haley Joel Osment to greater stardom?

Warners execs have high hopes, since the film's helmer is so savvy at mixing spectacle with intimacy.

``One of the geniuses of Spielberg,'' said WB production president Lorenzo di Bonaventura, ``is that he takes an event picture and reduces it to a small number of participants -- like a few men representing D-Day, or extraterrestrial life in a suburban house -- so that the audience can appreciate the full emotional range of the experience.''

Conversely, helmer Tim Burton is known for taking simple ideas and turning them into lavish, dazzling and twisted packages.

His take on ``Planet of the Apes'' will launch July 27 -- after a long but under-budget shoot, Fox's Rothman asserted. And fans of the Charlton Heston original, take note: Fox insists Tim Burton's makeup-heavy pic is not a remake.

``It's a new film, with a new story,'' said Rothman. ``It takes place on another planet, so there's no Statue of Liberty. The only similarity is the theme of an upside-down civilization where apes are supreme.''

HILO, Hawaii (AP) - A portion of the new ``Planet of the Apes'' movie, directed by Tim Burton and starring Mark Wahlberg and Helena Bonham Carter, will be filmed starting this month on the Big Island.

It's the first major motion picture to be filmed on the island since Kevin Costner's ``Waterworld'' in 1995.

The remake of the classic film is scheduled for release in July.

Hawaii County Film Commissioner Marilyn Killeri said the island was selected over other areas, including Maui, because of the "diverse look.'' 

THE Big Island is going ape this month.

Director Tim Burton is bringing the latest "Planet of the Apes" sequel -- titled "Planet of the Apes" -- for as many as five days of principal photography, though with preparation and post-production work, crews are expected to be on the island for a month. Locations are being kept secret.

Portions of "Planet of the Apes" have already been filmed in the desert of Trona, Calif., and on a 32,000 square-foot sound stage at Sony studios in Culver City. According to sources, the Sony sets include the lush, jungle home of the apes.

A trailer for the film is slated to be screened in some theaters today. The release date is July 27.

The film's working title had been "The Visitor." A teaser that will appear on posters and advertisements for the film reads, "Rule the Planet."

The film stars Mark Wahlberg, who most recently appeared in "Perfect Storm," and "Three Kings." The ape cast also includes Kauai resident Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa ("Black Rain," "Picture Bride"); Helena Bonham Carter ("Fight Club," "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein); Michael Clarke Duncan ("The Green Mile," "Armageddon"); Paul Giamatti ("Private Parts," "Man on the Moon"); and Tim Roth ("Reservoir Dogs," "Pulp Fiction").

Most of the actors will make the Big Island trip for filming.

Charlton Heston, who starred in the original 1968 "Planet of the Apes" as a human, reportedly has a cameo role in the Burton pic as an ape. Burton also directed dark pictures such as "Sleepy Hollow," "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and "Batman."

"Planet of the Apes" depicts a brutal world where humans are hunted and enslaved by tyrannical primates. The sudden appearance of Wahlberg's astronaut character Lee Davidson challenges the status quo and becomes a catalyst for a revolutionary change.

Bonham portrays Ari, a human rights activist. Duncan plays Attar, a fierce ape army warrior. Tagawa plays Ari's faithful gorilla servant Krull.

The "Planet of the Apes" script is by William Broyles Jr., who also wrote "China Beach" and "Apollo 13." The story is not a direct re-make of the original film but is "a sort of combination of the whole series," a production source said.

Academy Award winner Rick Baker ("Ed Wood," "The Nutty Professor," "The Grinch") is head of makeup. He's also designed simians for "King Kong" and "Mighty Joe Young."

At the Maui Film Festival last spring, Burton told the Star-Bulletin his version is a "re-imagination" of the ape planet concept with "lots of action." The ape costumes reportedly have similar masks as the original, though updated to show more of the actor underneath.

Rick Heinrichs ("Sleepy Hollow," "The Big Lebowski") is the production designer; Danny Elfman, who wrote "The Simpsons" theme, is composer; Colleen Atwood ("Edward Scissorhands," and "Beloved") is costume designer. Cinematography is being done by Philippe Rousselot who worked on "Instinct."

At the New York International Toy Fair this month, Twentieth Century Fox screened some raw footage that was full of special effects.

The film's Web site -- http://www.planetoftheapes.com -- features a film trailer, interview with Tim Burton and several production photos.