Franklin J. Schaffner

Rod Serling discovered the strength of writing science fiction as a way to disguise commentary on society of the day which led to The Twilight Zone. His contributions to Franklin J. Schaffner’s science fiction film Planet of the Apes allowed him to do the same on a cinematic scale. With political, religious and social commentary, as well as commentary on nuclear war, Serling gave the series a definite point of view and contributed to the film becoming an incredible success. Join us as we kick off our 50th-anniversary celebration of the Planet of the Apes series, starting with Schaffner’s 1968 film Planet of the Apes.