When the 1968 movie Planet of the Apes proved to be an enormous hit, both critically and financially, it became clear that a sequel could further the success of the franchise. Producer Arthur P. Jacobs approached Pierre Boulle, author of La Planète des singes, which had inspired the movie, and asked him to submit a treatment for a sequel. Titled Planet of the Men (or La Planète des hommes, since Boulle did not speak English), it featured a messianic Taylor, 14 years after the events of Planet of the Apes, leading an uprising against the apes, following which they reverted back to their primal states.