Burton Nixes Apes Sequel

August 17, 2001 -- Planet of the Apes director Tim Burton isn't opposed to remakes, just sequels, according to a new interview.

Even though Apes has grossed more than $200 million worldwide and seems like a shoo-in for a sequel, the quirky director tells Britain's Independent newspaper in an interview published today that he'd rather "jump out of the window, I swear to God," than do a second Apes film.

Wait, wait, wait. What about that now-infamous twist ending, which seems to set up a second film? In explaining the twist (don't worry, we're not going to reveal it here), Burton told the Toronto Sun, "It's totally out in left field and reminded me of those X-Files episodes that end so crazily. You're compelled to watch the next episode to see how the heck they'll explain it." So, that would imply that there will be a next episode, er, movie, right?

According to the Sun, Burton does have a sequel deal in place. A rep for 20th Century Fox and Burton's agent not did immediately return phone calls to Mr. Showbiz.

The sequel-averse director of Edward Scissorhands and Ed Wood was only reluctantly persuaded to take on Batman Returns, the follow-up to his 1989 box-office hit, Batman, according to A&E's recent televised bio of the shock-haired director. Subsequent Batman films have been directed, with diminishing success, by Joel Schumacher.

Burton, who rails against working for studio bosses in the Independent interview, said that the only time anyone listens in Hollywood is when "you go ballistic and psychotic." Hmm, so that's where the inspiration for Apes' volatile baddie, General Thade, came from.

The original 1968 sci-fi classic Planet of the Apes spawned four sequels and two television series, one of them animated.