Planet of the Apes was produced by Franklin Schaffner.
Planet of the Apes is a 1968 American science fiction film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner . It was the first in a series of five films made between 1968 and 1973 , all produced by Arthur P. Jacobs and released by 20th Century Fox . Directors J. Lee Thompson and Blake Edwards were approached , but the film 's producer Arthur P. Jacobs , upon the recommendation of Charlton Heston , chose Franklin J. Schaffner to direct the film .