it's a prequel to the 1968 classic "planet of the apes" starring charlton heston. the actors playing apes in that movie each wore several pounds of great makeup. the new film employs a cutting edge technology in which a human actor's movements, even facial expressions, are captured by computer and then rendered into a realistic on-screen chimp. david wright went behind the scenes of the new movie to file this report. >> reporter: it's a concept that seems as old as charles darwin. let along charlton heston. >> get your stinking paws off me you, damn dirty ape. >> reporter: evolution as entertainment and social commentary. >> take your stinking hands off me, you damn dirty human. >> reporter: it's made "planet of the apes" one of the longest-running most profitable franchise ever. >> get your paws off me, you dirty ape. >> reporter: a pop culture icon "the simpsons" once parodied with a musical. ♪ dr. zaus the latest installment marks an evolution in moviemaking and movie acting. gone are the hours of makeup and process at the timics roddy mcdowell had to endure. an

[laughter] have you seen the part with charlton heston on the beach. >> i haven't, no. >> jon: dude, have to -- >> you just called me dude. >> jon: it was an honor. it's the exact same word i used when the president sat with me and i called him dude. >> i liked it. >> jon: the funny thing about that is he didn't care for it as much. khalton heston was on the beach and he looks up and sees that the planet he had been on was his own. you -- you have to see it. >> i'll rent it tonight. [laughter] >> jon: i'm not very good at that type of thing. >> i'm going to rent it tonight. >> jon: you probably should. are you saying -- do you spend time here los angeles, mumbai -- >> all over the place. wherever work takes me. i spent six months in canada shooting back-to-back. i go back to india when i get the time and i love london it's my second home. >> jon: you are like an kid. then this soon incredible life. >> i'm 26 but that's amazing. >> jon: to me you are a kid. you industrial that -- you industrial that new car smell. -- you still have that new car smell. >> thank you. >> jon: so nice to

charlton heston the colonel, you finally did it, damn you all to hell, you did it! that's how i've felt all weekend long. damn it to hell we did it. obamageddon. that's what we have witnessed since friday. obamageddon. barackalipse now. far as 2012 goes obama is a debt man walking. >> greta: maybe rush could have a second career in hollywood, perhaps. >> what is arnold schwarzenegger thinking or is he thinking? he was seen in california yesterday wearing a t-shirt that reads: "i survived maria." the couple announced their divorce in may following schwarzenegger's confession he a will have child with the family's former housekeeper. tmz reports that he received the shirt while married as a gag gift. >> would you do this? an american woman taking the plunge swimming from cuba to the united states. about a 60 hour swim. the 61-year-old woman is not using a shark cage to protect herself. five boats sailing along side will keep an eye out for danger. she is not to lean on boats or grab on to anyone for a break. she jumped in the water sunday night. we won't expect to see

like the apes take over, charlton heston -- this is the prequel to that, which is right now. >> this really deals with current times. it's set in the present-day, dealing with relevant topics for the day and it's about this -- [ coughs ] -- scientific experiment that is actually meant to enhance -- actually find a cure for human illness that goes terribly wrong. and then you have ape revolution, so it's very interesting. i love -- >> jimmy: but james franco is the scientist? >> the scientist. >> jimmy: and -- >> andy serkis plays caesar, the ape. >> jimmy: this is amazing. so there -- you never actually did any scenes with any apes? >> no. >> jimmy: besides james franco. [ laughter ] >> no comment, but -- >> jimmy: no, he's a good guy, he's a good guy. i like that guy. but look at this guy -- andy serkis. >> yeah, that's him. >> jimmy: and this was the guy -- he was in "lord of the rings." and played gollum, right? >> yes. >> jimmy: he did a bunch of the stuff. >> and "king kong." >> jimmy: and "king kong" as well. look at -- that's him. and this is him again. him as -- him and the -

i'm sure charlton heston signed up to tell the first story. >> for those who could watch the film and be concerned you're portraying some sort of sci-fi documentary, future documentary, i understand there's a group of british scientists forming an activist group to prevent certain types of primate testing for fear of a "planet of the apes scenario"? >> yeah. i read about that not too long ago, i mean, fortunately, thankfully, the great apes aren't used in this any more. purely because it's too expensive. a sad indictment of us, i guess, but there are many monkeys and 1i78 simians part of laboratory testing and they've discovered a parody through the use of this. they discovered there is that ability, i think a number of lab rats that have massively increased intelligence and far more intelligent and advanced in than their wild counterparts. i think that's intriguing and also quite worrying, i think. >> which suggests at the very least, plausible fantasy that versions of this adaptation are far conceivable? >> absolutely. which is what we set out, the story we set out to tell. it's a r

new movie, it is a prequel to the original planet of the apes which debuted in 1968 charles, charlton heston, set in san train sisco, a scientist who experiments on apes and srches for a cure for alzheimer's, rodman discovers his drug boosts intelligence, this sets the scene for a simian revolution. here is the trailer for the film. >> why don't we begin. >> meet chimp 9. we gave him gene therapy that allows the brain to create its own cells in order to repair itself. we call it the cure to alzheimer's. >> oh, she a smart one, isn't he? >> you want him to sign? >> just a handful of things. >> caesar continues to show cognive skills that far exceed that of the human counterpart, the drug in his system has radically boosted healthy brain funconing. >> the drug works. >> this testing needs to be contained. >> is that a chimp? >> are you okay, pal? >> no. you are not a pet. >> >> you are not going nowhere, mr >> he hasn't spent any time with other chimps. >> you are going to stay here now. you are not going home right now. >> that monkey will learn who is boss sn enough. >> you have no idea what