Six years have passed since the apes waged war against humanity, leaving viewers thirsty with anticipation when War for the Planet of the Apes concluded the tale of Caesar (Andy Serkis). Alas, is there still a chance of a conclusion? Fans will finally see the conclusion to Wes Ball’s dramatic epic, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, in the late spring of 2024.
With the announcement of a new trilogy taking place almost 300 years after the death of the legendary Caesar, fans of the adored Planet of the Apes franchise will be in for a rude awakening. Given that the upcoming movie will take place 300 years after the events, it is reasonable to assume that Serkis, who played Caesar, will not reprise his role. Fans may thus be completely disappointed.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes: a New Trilogy to set up after 300 Years
According to Empire Magazine, 20th Century Studios plans to introduce a new trilogy with the release of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, which is the fourth entry in the rebooted Planet of the Apes series. The director, Wes Ball, explained.
“From the beginning we thought about this as a trilogy. We had these grand ideas of where it could ultimately go and how it could fit into the legacy of these movies. So I’m certainly talking to [the studio] right now about the next story.”
According to Empire’s article, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will take place about 300 years after the events of War for the Planet of the Apes, the 2017 movie that concluded a trilogy about apes. Having recently signed on to helm a live-action Legend of Zelda, Ball is not sure if he will continue helming subsequent entries in the Planet of the Apes series.
That being said, he did mention that the Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will represent “the beginning of something,” further adding:
“Those last three movies were about the end of something. They were about the end of this Moses story. They were about the end of humanity. And we thought, ‘From the ashes of those previous movies, we’re gonna grow a new tree to climb.’ This movie is very much about the beginning of something.”
Based on a screenplay by Josh Friedman, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, and Patrick Aison, the movie acts as a sequel to War for the Planet of the Apes (2017).
Andy Serkis as Caesar? : A Rude Awakening For Fans
The Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is expected to transport us to a world that exists 300 years after the selfless sacrifice made by Caesar. Given that the upcoming film will take place many years after the previous movie, the entire cast will be new. Owen Teague (It star), according to MovieWeb, is slated to play the lead ape. He will replace Andy Serkis, who portrayed Caesar in earlier movies, in the lead role.
Even though some fans might be initially disappointed by Serkis’s absence, the new story will make room for fresh faces and performances. Anyway, here’s what fans had to say about the new narrative:
I’m not confident in this one.
I think the Andy Serkis trilogy is next level, but this has no Serkis and no Matt Reeves.
— Michael Austin (@mikeswriting) December 15, 2023
I wouldn’t think the humans would of still been breeding after 300 years since the virus affected them that badly
— Koizey✨ (@Sensor8_) December 15, 2023
RIP caesar pic.twitter.com/jh4QwlYfSQ
— Crackle (@Crackle_TV) December 15, 2023
I can’t wait! The prequel trilogy was so compelling, I got into them a lot recently #kingdomoftheplanetoftheapes #planetoftheapes
— Rob X (@dietcolacrush) December 15, 2023
wait how tf is caesar’s son still alive then and the main character?
— m (@mangarcia52) December 15, 2023
The cast of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will also feature Freya Allan, Eka Darville, Travis Jeffery, Neil Sandilands, Sara Wiseman, Ras-Samuel Welda’abzgi, and Lydia Peckham. Wes Ball’s film is expected to offer a bold twist that defies fans’ expectations as they brace themselves for yet another thrilling chapter in the Planet of the Apes saga.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will be released in theaters on May 24, 2024.
War for the Planet of the Apes is streaming on FuboTV.
