A PILOT crash-lands on a strange planet, finding himself in a brutal, primal place where apes are in charge and humans are hunted and enslaved by the tyrannical primates.

This, the premise of Pierre Boulle's classic novel Planet of the Apes, became one of the most recognised and provocative concepts in science fiction literature and cinema.

Film-maker Tim Burton has taken Boulle's basic idea and built upon it a unique journey to an incredible upside-down world.

Burton's style and approach to the material break new ground in story, design and make-up effects.

"I wasn't interested in doing a remake or a sequel of the original Planet of the Apes film," says the director.

"But I was intrigued by the idea of revisiting that world.

Like a lot of people, I was affected by the original.

It's like a good myth or fairytale that stays with you.

The idea of re-imagining that mythology is very exciting to me.

"The original has a life of its own, and we're trying to be respectful of it," adds Burton.

"We hope to get the best out of it and in the process introduce new characters and other story elements, keeping the essence of the original but inhabiting that world in a different way."

Inhabiting worlds in 'a different way' describes Burton's work on all of his films, from Batman and Beetlejuice to Edward Scissorhands and Sleepy Hollow.

"When you say Planet of the Apes and Tim Burton in the same breath, that idea is instantly explosive, like lightning on the screen," says producer Richard D.

Zanuck.

"All of Tim's films are highly imaginative and highly visual.

He sees things a bit off-centre, which is great for this material.

I can't think of a more perfect pairing than Tim Burton and Planet of the Apes.

It spells magic to me."

Zanuck should know - as Fox production chief, he "greenlighted" the 1968 Planet of the Apes.

Actor Mark Wahlberg, who starred in Three Kings and Boogie Nights, plays Leo Davidson, captain of the spacecraft that crash-lands.

Wahlberg, a long-time Burton admirer, only needed to know he was at the helm before accepting the role.

"I hadn' t even read the script when I agreed to play the part," he recalls.

"I met Tim for literally five minutes, and I was so impressed that I said I'd do anything he wanted.

"The only thing I was worried about was the possibility of having to wear a loincloth," Wahlberg adds with a smile.

"Fortunately, that wasn't necessary."

Shortly after crashing on the planet, Wahlberg's Leo finds himself running for his life along with dozens of other humans, tracked down by fearsome apes on horseback, led by the captain of the ape army, Attar.

Michael Clarke Duncan plays the magnificent silverback, while Britain's Tim Roth portrays the apes' spiritual leader, Thade.

"He is definitely the villain of the piece," says Roth.

"He represents a certain point of view in the ape culture, especially the aggressiveness of the species.

He's a bit of a fascist.

Thade doesn't like the human traits that are invading apedom.

As a species, he finds them disgusting."

Completing the principal cast is Helena Bonham Carter, better known for period costume dramas, who plays Ari.

Burton offered her the role without an audition.

"He phoned me up and said: 'Don't take this the wrong way, but you are the first person that I thought of to play this chimp,'" she remembers.

"And I didn't take it wrongly at all.

But I had to ask him why he thought of me? And Tim said: ' Well, you know, I just had this sort of hunch that you'd like to try something very different.' It was so refreshing."