The fans of one of the most famous sci-fi film franchises, Planet of the Apes, were recently treated to the highly anticipated trailer for the upcoming installment, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. As the title suggests, this forthcoming movie promises to take us back to the roots of the story (where everything was started), paying homage to the original 1968 film.
Set many years after Matt Reeves’ War for the Planet of the Apes, Wes Ball’s upcoming flick shows a more advanced ape civilization. The highly anticipated sequel to the critically acclaimed prequel trilogy begins long after Caesar’s reign and the fall of the human empire. Simply put, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is taking us full circle to the original 1968 classic, Planet of the Apes.
Taking place 300 years following the events of the War for the Planet of the Apes, the aim of the story is to document the ongoing intellectual development of ape society as it transitions into a new Golden Age.
The Ape-run World Was First Shown in 1968’s Planet of the Apes film
The origins of Charlton Heston’s iconic Planet of the Apes must be taken into account before trying to understand the settings of contemporary movies. Initially billed as a space exploration story, the 1968 film followed a team of astronauts who became stranded on a planet home to apes. To survive, they are made to live in a world dominated by powerful and intelligent apes that include abused human-like creatures.
Tragically, in a very dark turn of events, it is revealed to the humans that they have been on Earth the entire time. When the apes took over the planet, the humans who were left had to live in constant fear.
The remarkable thing about the first movie was its surprising ending, but the stories in the sequels were equally compelling. While the scientists tried to figure out how to save humanity, they were forced to experiment with rebellion, time travel, and other means of putting an end to the apes and saving their people. There is an intriguing twist wherein humans and apes reconcile in a parallel timeline toward the conclusion of the movie.
That might have an impact on how the current Planet of the Apes franchise develops since the makers might have to decide which timeline will be prioritized. ‘Happily ever after’ is within the reach of those who wish for peace. If not, the film will need to make a clear reference to the 1968 version.
What is Different About Today’s Planet of the Apes Films?
Already, the world featured in the first films has been destroyed. Humanity has lost most of its intelligence and self-control, and the wise apes have come to take over the world by force. On the other hand, the prequel films depicted a time when humans remained in charge. It showed both the scientists who worked on enhancing the apes’ intelligence and Caesar’s path toward revolution.
There was not much of a plot twist because viewers already have a remarkable understanding of what happened before human civilization collapsed. The wonder of Caesar’s ascent was the only thing that could possibly pique viewers’ interest in the Planet of the Apes films since all of them have already established the historical events that shaped their world.
The tension between humans and apes grew with each new film. The ALZ-113 virus had already significantly impeded human progress by robbing humanity of its intelligence by the time of Matt Reeves’ Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014). At the conclusion of War for the Planet of the Apes, Caesar, who had served as a sort of human protector, passes away.
Although there has been some change from the original films, the reboot retained all of the key elements from the first films. The history of humanity was already fading into the past; apes had achieved complete sentience and humanity itself was crumbling into a shell of its former self. Despite the differences in the apes, the results were the same.
Is Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Going to tie into the Original Flick?
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes ushers in a new era for the franchise. This allows you to choose between carrying on Caesar’s story or following another young ape as he explores his world. Because it has been shown that his descendants torture the living and often treat them like game, Caesar’s attempts to save humanity have failed.
Wes Ball’s film trailer suggests that it takes place some 300 years after the events of War for the Planet of the Apes, when Caesar found a new home for the evolved apes and died in peace. Humans have no chance of surviving against their more advanced ape counterparts in the Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, where apes rule the entire planet.
Noa (Owen Teague), a young chimpanzee born almost 300 years after Caesar’s time, will, strangely enough, be interacting with a human. There should not be any humans left who can communicate with apes in that manner after the virus helped to reverse the course of events for both species. Considering that this sequel is set centuries after the events of Caesar’s day, it is possible that Noa is coming across as a human space traveler.
Noa appears to have some interest in space, as evidenced by his examination of an antiquated human telescope in the Kingdom trailer. He might have actually traveled through space and back with the help of temporal relativity and his human friend. With the aid of temporal relativity, his human friend might have traveled through space and returned. That would allow the movie to make references to the world of Charleton Heston’s 1968 film and offer an insight into the ape’s viewpoint regarding the arrival of humans. Ultimately, a significant chunk of the original movies prioritized the human viewpoint over the apes.
Even though it might have nothing to do with the 1968 film, it makes a strong conceptual sense to link the original film. Given how opinions about Caesar’s ascent have evolved over the course of three centuries, there is a good chance that the story will be retold with the audience already aware of the plot tricks.
The release date of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is set for May 10, 2024.
