Billed as the final chapter, director Matt Reeves and producer Dylan Clark’s 2017 film War for the Planet for the Apes wrapped a trilogy of reboot films focused on star Andy Serkis as Caesar. The story continued two years after the events in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (directed by Reeves), the sequel to the first of the reboot series, Rise of the Planet of the Apes (co-produced by Clark). So unlike many franchises these days, the same people were creating the beginning, the middle, and the end. But we haven’t heard the last from the unfamous apes of Earth’s future.
As French author Pierre Boulle’s novel Planet of the Apes turned 60 this year, the American movie franchise finds itself celebrating its 55th year with Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. That’s six decades of the best sequel movie titles in film history–the franchise every other franchise looks to first when thinking up what words will get you back to the movie theater. It’s been a long stretch–seven years since we last saw the apes on film, although the franchise has produced some good tie-ins, like the great Death of the Planet of the Apes novel (reviewed here), the late J.W. Rinzler’s The Making of the Planet of the Apes (reviewed here), some killer cover art by epic cover artist Ryan Sook (see it here), and more, like boxed sets of the movies, trading card guides, and games (find them here), and even action figures.
Don’t even pretend this is the last one. Check out this trailer for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes:
How many CGI apes can you fit into one movie? We’ll be finding out. The switch-up is the new creator, The Maze Runner franchise’s Wes Ball is the director–but it was Ball who worked with Matt Reeves on the Mouse Guard movie, chopped just after Disney acquired Fox so maybe they have some common ideas.
The movie stars Owen Teague (It, The Stand), The Orville’s Peter Macon, Altered Carbon’s Dichen Lachman, Swamp Thing’s Kevin Durand, Jessica Jones’ Eka Darville, Freya Allan (The Witcher), and William H. Macy (Fargo, Mystery Men, Jurassic Park III).
This one is a long way off. Who’s in? Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes begins May 24, 2024.
C.J. Bunce / Editor / borg
