From BNA: Brand New Animal to Cyberpunk Edgerunners, Studio Trigger has become one of the industry's leading animation studios. Co-founded by Hiroyuki Imaishi, creator Gurren Lagann and Kill la Kill, the studio continues to produce major hits. After a conversation with Kingdom for the Planet of the Apes director Wes Ball (via ComicBook), it's possible that Imaishi may have planted the flag for a future Planet of the Apes anime.
As it turns out, Ball is a big fan of Gurren Lagann, and spoke about the similarities between the anime and his recent blockbuster film. Ball praised the main character of Gurren Lagann, Simon, who he compared to Noah in Kingdom for the Planet of the Apes.
"Both Simon and Noah are pure and innocent characters who grow big as they learn about the world," Ball explained. "I think the director and I are interested in creating characters who realize their own potential and see how much they can shape it."
Following Ball's comparison, Imaishi went on to praise the pacing of Kingdom for the Planet of Apes, stating: "I like how the main character sets off on a journey and we get to see plenty of what happens next."
Ball chimed in that he actually wanted this to be longer, but was constrained by timing. This is where the conversation turned toward anime, and how it allows for more fleshed-out storytelling.
"But with a series like an anime, you can take your time and draw things," Ball explained. "A movie is two hours long, so even if you try to cram everything in, it's not that easy. I'd love to try a series."
Imaishi then brought up the possibility of adapting Planet of the Apes into an anime series. "Planet of the Apes is a fascinating series that seems like it could do a lot of different things if it were made into a TV series," he hypothesized.
When presented with the idea of teaming up to create a Planet of the Apes anime series, both creators expressed excitement.
"There aren't many films in Japan that feature monkeys as the main characters. If I were to make one for the Japanese market, I'd like to make it 'Monkey School,'" Imaishi envisioned.
"That's great! (laughs) Let's create a "Hero Ape Demia" like in 'My Hero Academia'" Ball joked.
While the conversation was mostly in jest, the idea is now out there in the universe. Could Planet of the Apes make for a good anime series? If anyone can pull it off, it's Studio Trigger.
Would you like to see a Planet of the Apes anime series? Let us know in the comments!