Www.slashfilm.com reports that Rupert Wyatt (THE ESCAPIST) has been hired to direct a prequel to THE PLANET OF THE APES (2001), working from a script by Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver (THE RELIC). Previously, Chud.com had reported that the film’s title would be CAESER (the name of the ape that leads the revolution to overthrow humanity in 1974’s CONQUEST OF THE PLANET OF THE APES – even though this is not a remake of CONQUEST). We’re promised a hard science fiction film, sans talking monkeys, about efforts to create hyper-intelligent chimpanzees. The idea is to reboot the APES franchise, instead of following the financially successful but artistically disappointing remake directed by Tim Burton.