History Trivia / RiseOfThePlanetOfTheApes

** In the scene where Caesar bites Hunsiker's finger and gets sent to the primate sanctuary, he originally amputated the finger and spit it out of his mouth.

** Will was intended to die in the first cut of the film, but the negative reaction of test audiences convinced the studio to make him survive to the end of the film. However, the sequel reveals that he died between films due to the Simian Flu outbreak.

** Jacobs' death scene originally had ''Caesar'' pushing the helicopter off the bridge instead of Koba. This was changed because it felt out of character for Caesar to willingly commit murder plus the fact that there was far more negative history built up between Jacobs and Koba that it would feel more satisfying for Koba to get his revenge.

** Jacobs' death scene originally had ''Caesar'' pushing the helicopter off the bridge instead of Koba. This was changed because it felt out of character for Caesar to willingly commit murder.

* DeletedScene: A scene shows Koba getting used to firearms. Had this been in the film, it would provide {{Foreshadowing}}.

* ViralMarketing: [=http://www.simianflu.com/=] (now defunct) was an in-universe website to promote the sequel.

** Perhaps most glaring, the script originally started as a stand-alone monster movie about the dangers of keeping a genetically engineered chimp as a pet. Only after finishing the first draft, the writers realized that the story could be modified into a prequel for ''Planet of the Apes'' and offered it to Fox, who were glad to accept after the failed reboot attempt by Creator/TimBurton.

* MidDevelopmentGenreShift: The most ironic part is that the first script wasn't even written as part of the ''Franchise/PlanetOfTheApes'' franchise but was based on reports of real people raising chimps as pets (or ''babies'') and then getting mauled in their homes when they become [[TeensAreMonsters teenagers]]. The first incarnation of what would become Caesar was '''evil''' and talked [[spoiler:only]] in sign language; its genre was probably closer to a sci-fi horror than the drama/adventure movie it ended being.

** They also had earlier drafts with a sympathetic vet character (named Stewart, after the unlucky female astronaut in the first film) working at the lab who becomes involved with Will, but this was later replaced by the zoo vet character. Before the character of Charles, there was a draft with the lead humans being a geneticist and his wife with the disease.
** Jacobs' death scene originally had ''Caesar'' pushing the helicopter off the bridge instead of Koba. This was changed because it would fell out of character for Caesar to willingly commit murder.
** Will was intended to die in the first cut of the film, but test audiences reacted negatively towards this, so he survived to the end of the film. Though it is later revealed in the sequel that he died between both films due to the Simian Flu outbreak.
** Perhaps most glaring, the script originally started as a stand-alone monster movie about the dangers of keeping a genetically engineered chimp as a pet. Only after finishing the first draft, the writers realized that the story could be modified into a prequel for ''Planet of the Apes'' and offered it to Fox, who was glad to accept after the failed reboot attempt by Creator/TimBurton.

* ActorSharedBackground: Douglas Hunsiker being a family man who goes PapaWolf to protect his kids from Ceasar alludes to David Hewlett who plays him being a family man in real life, albeit much nicer then Hunsiker, as he has a son whom he adores - to the point where he merrily Twitters about his latest antics at least once a day.

* ViralMarketing: [[http://www.simianflu.com/ Simian Flu]], an in-universe website to promote the sequel.

** Will was intended to die in the first cut of the film, but test audiences reacted negatively towards this, so he survived to the end of the film. Though he is later revealed to have died before the events of Dawn.

** The scene were the helicopter was pushed off the bridge was originally pushed by Caesar instead of Koba. This was changed because it would make Caesar more of a jerk.
** Will died in the first cut of the film, but test audiences didn't like it. Though he died between films anyway.

** Surrey-born David Hewlett plays the Californian Douglas Hunsiker.

** Likewise, John and Dodge Landon are played by Angus-born Creator/BrianCox and Surrey-born Creator/TomFelton with Californian accents
* ShownTheirWork: ''Possibly''. A leading theory for the cause of the rapid spread of AIDS in North America is "a promiscuous flight attendant".[[note]]This would be [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ga%C3%ABtan_Dugas Gaëtan Dugas]], a gay flight attendant who was one of the first cases, but not the first in America, and was vilified by a mostly false and embellished book in 1987 due to the writer mistaking "Patient O" as in O for Outside California, for "Patient 0" as in Patient Zero.[[/note]]With even more air travel and an easier route of transmission, the spread isn't that hard to believe.
** Rocket makes noise with a gas can to reinforce his position as leader. Later, Caesar uses the same gas can to hit Rocket, and ends becoming the new leader of the sanctuary. This is reminiscent of a real case studied by Jane Goodall, where a clever young chimp realized that the noise made with a gas can scared the other chimps and used it to become the tribe's leader.

** They also had earlier drafts with a sympathetic vet character (named Stewart, after the unlucky female astronaut in the first film) working at the lab who becomes involved with Will, but this was later replaced by the zoo vet character. Before the character of Will's father with Alzheimer's, there was a draft with the lead humans being a geneticist and his wife with the disease.
** The most ironic part is that the first script wasn't even written as part of the ''Franchise/PlanetOfTheApes'' franchise but was based on reports of real people raising chimps as pets (or ''babies'') and then getting mauled in their homes when they become [[TeensAreMonsters teenagers]]. The first incarnation of what would become Caesar was '''evil''' and talked [[spoiler:only]] in sign language; its genre was probably closer to a sci-fi horror than the drama/adventure movie it ended being.

* TheCastShowoff: John Lithgow really does tickle those ivories.

** Likewise, John and Dodge Landon are played by Angus-born Brian Cox and Surrey-born Creator/TomFelton with Californian accents.

** Tobey Maguire was originally intended for the lead human role, but when it fell through, they settled for James Franco instead. [[Film/SpiderManTrilogy It's not the first time Harry Osborn has been second best to Peter Parker.]]

** Will died in the first cut of the film, but test audiences didn't like it. Though he died between films anyway.

** The scene were the helicopter was pushed off the bridge was originally pushed by Caesar instead of Koba.

* ActorSharedBackground: Douglas Hunsiker being a family man who goes PapaWolf to protect his kids from Ceasar alludes to MeanCharacterNiceActor David Hewlett who plays him being a family man in real life, albeit much nicer then Hunsiker, as he has a son whom he adores - to the point where he merrily Twitters about his latest antics at least once a day.

* ShownTheirWork: ''Possibly''. A leading theory for the cause of the rapid spread of AIDS in North America is "a promiscuous flight attendant". With even more air travel and an easier route of transmission, the spread isn't that hard to believe.

* ActorAllusion: [[Film/X2XMenUnited Colonel Stryker]] is seen in the trailer saying, "[[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman They're not people, you know.]]"
** [[Creator/TomFelton Draco]] [[Film/HarryPotter Malfoy]] doesn't seem too friendly towards the non-humans either.
*** [[Creator/TomFelton Draco]] [[Film/HarryPotter Malfoy]] holding the electrocution wand, anyone?
*** [[Creator/TomFelton Draco]] [[Film/HarryPotter Malfoy]] saying "You think that's ''funny?''" and "You're ''next!''"
** [[Film/TheLordOfTheRings Biting off someone's finger]] again, are we, [[Creator/AndySerkis Gollum?]]
*** Andy Serkis as [[Film/KingKong2005 another Ape]], no less, (if smaller and smarter).
** John Lithgow becomes friends with a primate. [[Film/HarryAndTheHendersons Again.]]