# Why Conquest Of The Planet Of The Apes Changed Its Original, Much Darker Ending

> The original ending of 'Conquest of the Planet of the Apes' was darker and more violent, but 20th Century Fox edited it for a family-friendly release.
- Title: Why Conquest Of The Planet Of The Apes Changed Its Original…
- Summary: The original ending of 'Conquest of the Planet of the Apes' was darker and more violent, but 20th Century Fox edited it for a family-friendly release. The…
- Keywords: conquest of the planet of the apes, 20th century studios, caesar, planet of the apes, j. lee thompson, 20th century fox, film editing, theatrical ending, original ending, entertainment, culture, Conquest
- Source: SlashFilm — https://slashfilm.com/2284426/why-conquest-of-the-planet-of-the-apes-changed-original-darker-ending
- Author: Devin Meenan
- Published: 2026-10-19T21:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: conquest of the planet of the apes, 20th century studios, caesar, planet of the apes, j. lee thompson, 20th century fox, film editing, theatrical ending, original ending, entertainment, culture
## Original Ending
The unedited ending shows Caesar leading apes to execute the tyrannical governor Breck after ignoring his human ally's pleas.

> Caesar then calls for his apes to execute the tyrannical Governor Breck
## Theatrical Ending
The edited version has Caesar turning from violence after a female ape whispers 'no', sparing Breck and ending with a push-in on Caesar's face.

> Caesar does an about face, saying the apes have won the day and can afford to be merciful
## Why Edited
20th Century Fox cut the ending to avoid violent content and maintain a family-friendly rating for the blockbuster.

> Fox wanted to try and retain the family audience
## Test Audience Reaction
Mothers took children running from theaters during preview screenings due to the bloodiness of the riots.

> In the first preview screening at Phoenix, mothers took their children running down the aisle to get out of the theater because of the bloodiness of the riots
## Allegory and Context
The apes' revolution was modeled on the 1965 Watts riots, highlighting real race relations and political tensions.

> In 1972, there was no way a major studio film was going to release a film where the hero was the leader of the Watts riots
## Impact on Film
The unedited ending remains the most powerful version, though the film is now overshadowed by remakes.

> Nowadays 'Conquest' is overshadowed and surpassed by its spiritual remakes
## Key takeaway

The unedited ending of 'Conquest of the Planet of the Apes' shows Caesar leading apes to execute a tyrannical human governor, a darker version that 20th Century Fox cut for a family audience.