James Franco 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' original ending revealed

James Franco's Rise of the Planet of the Apes character was supposed to have been killed off, it has been revealed.

The actor took on the role of Will, a scientist who unexpectedly mutates a gene in laboratory apes when trying to find a cure for Alzheimer's. Studio Fox's last-minute decision to save the character led to reshoots which extended the movie's post-production schedule.

Franco had filmed a death scene for Will, says The Hollywood Reporter. Fox's president of post-production Ted Gagliano said: "We shot [the alternate ending] for three hours and [Franco] was back on the plane."

The sequence saw Will get caught in the crossfire between Andy Serkis's leader of the apes Caesar and the military. However, the studio decided against the ending and flew Franco from North Carolina to California to instead shoot another final scene with Caesar.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes director Rupert Wyatt recently hinted at possible sequel ideas.

Wyatt suggested that an update to the reboot could be set eight years in the future, with young apes and humans going into battle with each other.

Watch a clip from Rise of the Planet of the Apes below: