The Planet of the Apes movie franchise was successfully rebooted in 2011 with Rise of the Planet of the Apes. The blockbuster hit began a new storyline in which apes gradually take over Earth as the dominant species. The film was followed by 2014’s Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and 2017’s War for the Planet of the Apes. Now Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will continue the story as revealed in the film’s first trailer from 20th Century Studios.
The film is set to take place years after the events of War for the Planet of the Apes. Caesar’s son, Cornelius, is now the focus of the story. Owen Teague provides the voice and motion capture for the character, taking over for Andy Serkis who provided an incredible performance as Caesar across the previous three entries.
Cornelius’s story is said to take place in a world where different tribes of apes co-exist. Some of these tribes are manipulating the teachings of Caesar, however, in an attempt to enslave other apes. This leads to one portion of the plot while another will revolve around an ape searching for freedom while a human woman plays an important role. With the lore of the original franchise and the established narrative of the preceding three films, there’s certainly a lot of potential to explore.
Here’s the official Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes trailer:
Wes Ball directed the new film and in addition to Teague, the cast includes Kevin Durand, Freya Allen, William H. Macy, and Peter Macon. The film is set to hit theaters on May 24, 2024.
Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for any additional updates on Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes and the rest of the Apes franchise as we have them. For now, this looks like a promising start to a new narrative.