Wahlberg on "Planet of the Apes"

Mark Wahlberg, who starred as Captain Leo Davidson in Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes, recently explained why he was in the movie. Wahlberg said he chose the role so he could "grow" and just to work with director Burton.

"I didn't necessarily think 'Planet of the Apes' would be the best movie to remake, but I wanted to work with Tim Burton," said Wahlberg. "At that point I was choosing roles that allowed me to grow, to learn from great artists."

Originally a musician and a model, Wahlberg was not taken seriously for his film roles. Now, as an Oscar-nominated actor, Wahlberg has now been appreciated more for his performances. But even early on, the actor was entirely committed to his roles, such as the one in Planet of the Apes.

"I was committed 110 per cent," Wahlberg said. "It was like, 'Oh I'll just try this'. I was obsessed with acting, making movies, studying film 24 hours a day."

Twentieth Century Fox had expressed interest in revamping their Planet of the Apes franchise. However, the new film, which was supposed to be a prequel, was recently shelved. Neither Burton nor Wahlberg are were attached to the project.

UPDATE: New York Magazine reports that the reboot of the Planet of the Apes franchise is actually in development, but neither Burton nor Wahlberg are attached.