A New ‘Planet of the Apes’ Film Is Officially in Development with Director Announced

A new ‘Planet of the Apes’ movie is officially in development, although it may not follow the narrative established in 2024’s ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’. According to Deadline, the upcoming film will present a fresh story rather than a direct sequel.

Matt Shakman has been selected to direct the project. He recently gained recognition for his work on Marvel’s ‘Fantastic Four: First Steps’, solidifying his reputation in large-scale studio filmmaking. Josh Friedman, who co-wrote ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ and contributed to ‘Fantastic Four’, is set to pen the script.

Deadline reported that “Plot details are being kept under wraps other than the film making a return to the planet where Apes are the superior species ruling all.” The report also indicated that the movie is not anticipated to follow the exact storyline from ‘Kingdom’, leaving it uncertain whether it will maintain any connection to that timeline.

This decision has surprised some fans, as ‘Kingdom’ concluded with significant unanswered questions that seemed poised to lead into a sequel. Instead, the franchise appears to be charting a new course with a distinct narrative and potentially new characters.

This upcoming film will mark the 11th installment in the ‘Planet of the Apes’ franchise, which began in 1968 with the original ‘Planet of the Apes’ starring Charlton Heston. The original series consisted of five films, concluding with ‘Battle for the Planet of the Apes’ in 1973.

The franchise was rebooted in 2011 with ‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’, which introduced a more serious tone and emphasized motion-capture performances. Andy Serkis received acclaim for his portrayal of Caesar, the central ape character in the rebooted series. Additionally, there was ‘Planet of the Apes’, which stands apart from both timelines.

Currently, very little information is available about the new film aside from its basic premise. What is evident is that the studio is not revisiting the earlier “rise of the apes” storyline. Instead, the filmmakers seem to be crafting something unique within the universe where apes are the dominant species.

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