As the release of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes slowly approaches, the filmmaker behind the latest installment of the franchise is already looking ahead toward its future. Entertainment Weekly has released a new image from the upcoming sequel, including comments from director Wes Ball, who stated that the studio is looking at the potential blockbuster as the start of a new saga. If the sequel turns out to be a success at the box office, the world of the apes could continue to expand, as these characters close the gap between the prequels led by Andy Serkis and the timeline of the 1968 classic:
“We don’t want to be presumptuous. Whether this movie is successful is up to the movie gods. But we certainly think there is a lot more story to be told, not just in the Planet of the Apes legacy of it all, but in terms of these characters we’ve created and the arcs that we’re thinking about. So, yeah, we’ve got good ideas for what would come next.”
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will follow Noa (Owen Teague), a young ape born centuries after Caesar led his community towards a brighter future, away from humans. The virus has evolved to the point of people behaving like feral creatures, leaving the apes as the most intelligent species on Earth. As they enter a new age in their history, the apes will discover electricity, changing the game for a community that lived without it for so long. Unfortunately, without learning from what took humans off the board, the apes might be close to committing the same mistakes.
Noa will have to go up against Proximus (Kevin Durand), an antagonist who won’t know how to use electricity for the benefit of his community. As the two battle with the idea of what’s best for the future of the apes, the chimpanzees around them will have to reflect on what they actually want from their lives going forward. It won’t be easy for Noa to convince everyone about Proximus’ intentions not being the best ones, in an adventure that will also feature performances from Freya Allan, Peter Macon, and William H. Macy.
The Battle for the Planet of the Apes
Concept art for ‘KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES’.
Coming to theaters May 24th pic.twitter.com/W5iuFfp0Xa
— Planet of the Apes (@ApesFanAccount) December 20, 2023
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will be the first movie set in the franchise since Caesar died in War for the Planet of the Apes. Even if the group wanted to follow his example by the time that movie came to an end, centuries have now passed, and an entirely new generation will fight for the fate of the planet. It remains to be seen what will happen to the franchise if Kingdom turns out to be a success at the box office, considering how Wes Ball is set to work on The Legend of Zelda as his next project.
You can check out the new image from Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes above, before the movie premieres in theaters in the United States on May 24.
via Collider