2017’s War for the Planet of the Apes seemed like a natural spot to wrap up the rebooted trilogy. It had been a slight disappointment at just under $500M worldwide, more than $200M shy of 2014’s Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, both of which were directed by Matt Reeves. Not only that, but the story of Caesar, the ape leader played in incredible fashion by Andy Serkis, had reached its end. But this is Hollywood we’re talking about, and a hit franchise never stays gone for long. Enter director Wes Ball and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, which takes the saga into the far-off future.
Ball, best known for directing all three Maze Runner films, takes the helm for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, which takes the franchise in a new direction with a much younger cast. Starring in the film are Owen Teague (You Hurt My Feelings) who plays Cornelius, the chimp son of the legendary Caesar. He’s joined by Freya Allen (The Witcher), Peter Macon (The Orville), plus Eka Darville, Kevin Durand, William H. Macy, and Dichen Lachman.
Here is the synopsis, which has mostly been kept under wraps: Director Wes Ball breathes new life into the global, epic franchise set several generations in the future following Caesar’s reign, in which apes are the dominant species living harmoniously and humans have been reduced to living in the shadows. As a new tyrannical ape leader builds his empire, one young ape undertakes a harrowing journey that 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.
A lot of hands took to the script, with credit going to Josh Friedman, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, and Patrick Aison. Cause for concern?
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes opens in theaters on May 24th 2024.