One of the most popular film franchises still to this day is the Planet of the Apes series, which recently spawned a rather successful trilogy of films. The three movies – Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and War for the Planet of the Apes – were all produced under Fox before the company was sold to Disney. Obviously such a major franchise would be of great importance to Disney as they’d be eager to make back money on their investment – and indeed plans were announced to reboot Planet of the Apes with director Wes Ball at the helm. Of course, it wasn’t confirmed at the time whether it’d be a sequel to the previous trilogy or a completely new continuity altogether – and recent reports suggested the latter. But it turns out those reports were false.
Director Wes Ball recently took to Twitter to help clear the air, and he gave an answer that fans of the previous trilogy of Planet of the Apes film will like to hear. While he didn’t quite explain what the film would focus on specifically, he did reveal that it would focus on Caesar’s legacy and continue with the story from the last three movies.
Here’s what exactly Wes Ball stated regarding his Planet of the Apes movie:
“It’s never been easier for film journalists to actually get in touch with the actual people who actually know… but maybe it’s the point to NOT fact-check these days?
Regardless. Don’t worry. I won’t ruin the surprises, but it’s safe to say Caesar’s legacy will continue…”
https://twitter.com/wesball/status/1229210753808207872?s=21
He also stated in a separate post:
“I’ll say this about Apes… I grew up on the original and absolutely love the previous trilogy.
I would only do this if I felt I could offer something special while still honoring what’s come before. We have something that’s shaping up to be an awesome chapter to this franchise.”
I’ll say this about Apes… I grew up on the original and absolutely love the previous trilogy.
I would only do this if I felt I could offer something special while still honoring what’s come before. We have something that’s shaping up to be an awesome chapter to this franchise. https://t.co/OSgYSGeTb8
— Wes Ball (@wesball) December 4, 2019
It’s exciting to see that Disney won’t just be retconning the previous three films but actually build upon the world they’ve established. Hopefully we will see how the “Planet of the Apes” has evolved following Caesar’s death and in what ways the story will change – for better or worse for us humans.