Brace yourself for 'Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,' the latest movie in the 'Planet of the Apes' franchise.
Nobody was expecting much from the 2011 reboot of the 'Planet of the Apes' series titled 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes,' especially after 2001's dreadful remake. However, it was a big win that resurrected the audiences and critics' interest in the franchise and spawned two sequels – 'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes' and 'War for the Planet of the Apes' – that were even better received. After a healthy break, the story continues… so, here's everything we know about 'Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' so far.
The question of whether this new saga of movies will eventually tie into the original 1968 science fiction classic remains a mystery, as there are still centuries between the current point of the rebooted timeline and the Charlton Heston starrer should they choose to walk that path. For now, director Wes Ball, the screenwriters and whoever comes next have plenty of space and creative freedom to tinker with a long-running franchise that has explored a bit of everything, especially in the first saga, which ran for five movies and two T.V. series.
Looking to get into more classic sci-fi movie franchises from the (now Disney-owned) 20th Century Fox trove? We strongly recommend watching the entire 'Alien' and 'Predator' series if you haven't already. Of course, we also have the extensive list of the best sci-fi movies of all time so you don't miss out on the must-sees which cinephiles won't stop praising.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Release date
In 2022, we learned that Disney and 20th Century Studios (the refreshed Fox banner) wanted 'Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' to be the beginning of a new trilogy of movies. Whether the same creative team will handle all three movies remains to be seen.
'Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' is scheduled to be released in North American theaters on May 24, 2024. This date was locked long ago and hasn't been changed because of how smooth the entire pre-production, production and post-production processes have been.
What is the plot of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes?
In 'Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,' humans have regressed to a feral state and apes have begun to build civilizations. The story is set generations after 'War for the Planet of the Apes,' in which we learned that the same virus which had allowed apes to evolve and become more intelligent was affecting the remaining humans in the opposite way.
Most ape clans and groups emerged from the oasis to which Caesar led his fellow apes at the end of War. Meanwhile, an evil king with big aspirations, who names himself Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand), perverts the teachings of their messiah and starts enslaving other clans in a relentless search for human technology.
Noa (Owen Teague), a common chimpanzee from a different group, embarks on a journey through the ruins of human civilization alongside a young human girl named Mae (Freya Allan). Noa's adventure "will cause him to question all that he has known about the past and to make choices that will define a future for apes and humans alike."
Astronomy might also be key to the plot, as the first trailer shows Noa coming across an abandoned observatory that will no doubt wow him and change many of his beliefs. We are willing to make a bet that this scene will feature a nod to the very first movie in the same vein as the last trilogy's subtle homages.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Trailers
The first-ever trailer for 'Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' arrived on November 2, 2023 and introduced us to Noa and the Earth reclaimed by nature that we'll explore when the movie arrives in May. There are brief glimpses of the young human Mae and the aforementioned ape tyrant, but very little about the actual plot was revealed. You can watch the 'Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' teaser trailer below:
With Marvel movies skipping 2024 (with the exception of 'Deadpool 3') and Disney reshuffling much of its theatrical calendar, we're expecting a huge marketing push for 'Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' as the company's biggest tentpole release for the first half of next year. That ups the chances of a T.V. spot at the Super Bowl 2024 and big trailers in the coming months to hype this one up as a must-see blockbuster.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Cast
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is spearheaded by Owen Teague ('It'), Freya Allan ('The Witcher') and Kevin Durand ('Locke & Key'). They're joined by Peter Macon ('The Orville'), Travis Jeffery ('Unbroken'), William H. Macy ('Fargo'), Eka Darville ('Jessica Jones'), Neil Sandilands ('Sweet Tooth'), Sara Wiseman ('Nerve'), Lydia Peckham ('Cowboy Bebop'), Ras-Samuel Welda'abzgi ('The Clearing') and Dichen Lachman ('Jurassic World Dominion').
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Director, writers & crew
Development on 'Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' began in April 2019, shortly after Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox and all its assets. Before the year ended, Wes Ball ('Maze Runner' trilogy) boarded the project as writer and director. Most of the script was written during the Covid pandemic alongside Josh Friedman (Avatar: The Way of Water), Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver ('Rise of the Planet of the Apes'), plus Patrick Aison (Prey).
The cinematography was handled by 'Maze Runner' veteran Gyula Pados, who recently worked on 'Shazam! Fury of the Gods' too. From the 'Maze Runner' movie trilogy, Ball also invited editor Dan Zimmerman and composer John Paesano. The movie has been produced by Wes Ball, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, Jason Reed and Joe Hartwick Jr.
