Attention Planet of the Apes Fans! ‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’ Hits Theaters [VIDEO]

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Are you a fan of the "Planet of the Apes" movies? The latest film, "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," opens in theaters Friday, August 5.

When the first series of "Apes" movies were released in the 1970's, we couldn't wait to see every one of them at the theaters. I even read the book by Pierre Boulle. The original "Planet of the Apes" movie came out in 1968, starring Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall and Kim Hunter.

The prosthetic makeup techniques, created by John Chambers, were groundbreaking at the time. He won an honorary Academy Award for his outstanding make-up achievements.

The movie's popularity spawned a series of films;

-"Beneath the Planet of the Apes" (1970)

-"Escape from the Planet of the Apes" (1971)

-"Conquest of the Planet of the Apes" (1972)

-"Battle for the Planet of the Apes" (1973)

Tim Burton directed a remake starring Mark Wahlberg and Helena Bonham Carter, also called "Planet of the Apes," in 2001.

The 2011 release features performance capture technology instead of makeup and the realism in the trailers is amazing. Actor Andy Serkis plays Caesar, the chimpanzee who is given a drug that makes him super-intelligent. He also portrayed Gollum in the "Lord of the Rings" movies and the title role in the latest "King Kong" remake.

Also in the cast of "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" are James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow and Tom Felton.