The Apes rise again with a new chapter in the iconic Planet of the Apes franchise heading toward production. 20th Century Studios unveiled a photo teasing the new installment titled Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes and confirmed filming will get underway in November 2022.
The Maze Runner helmer Wes Ball will direct and Owen Teague (It), Freya Allan (The Witcher), and Peter Macon (The Orville) will star. Josh Friedman (War of the Worlds), Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver (Rise of the Planet of the Apes), and Patrick Aison (Prey) wrote the screenplay.
Joe Hartwick Jr., Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, and Jason Reed are producing, with Peter Chernin and Jenno Topping executive producing.
Fox didn’t reveal any plot details but did say the new chapter will pick up many years after the conclusion of 2017’s War for the Planet of the Apes.
“Planet of the Apes is one of the most iconic and storied science fiction franchises in film history, as well as being an indelible part of our studio’s legacy. With Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes we are privileged to continue the series’ tradition of imaginative, thought-provoking cinema, and can’t wait to share Wes’ extraordinary vision for this new chapter with audiences in 2024.” stated Steve Asbell, President 20th Century Studios.
The original Planet of the Apes film, based on Pierre Boulle’s novel, was released in 1968. Four sequels followed over the next five years, and in 2001 Tim Burton took the director’s chair for a remake of the original movie.
The sci-fi franchise was revived in 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes directed by Rupert Wyatt and starring James Franco, Freida Pinto, and Andy Serkis. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes was released in 2014 with Andy Serkis reprising his performance capture role as Caesar alongside Jason Clarke, Keri Russell, and Gary Oldman. 2017’s War for the Planet of the Apes, once again starring Serkis, featured Woody Harrelson and Steve Zahn.
