Producer talks Planet of the Apes Easter eggs in new films When Rise of the Planet of the Apes hit theaters in 2011, it was intended a fresh start for the fan-favorite sci-fi series, but there were plenty of Easter eggs and callbacks to the original films, ranging from a Statue of Liberty toy and a reference to the Icarus spaceship going missing, to direct quotes from the original film being used. As the series has progressed, the new films have forged their own identity, telling the stories of the forming of the titular planet and all-new ones not found in the original mythology.