A new Planet of the Apes film is on the way, and this latest installment has officially received a title and announced its next cast member. 20th Century Studios has revealed that the newest installment in the iconic sci-fi franchise is titled Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Freya Allan, known for her role in Netflix’s The Witcher, will star in a currently unknown role. She joins Owen Teague and Peter Macon.
Based on the Pierre Boulle novel of the same name, Planet of the Apes is set in a far distant future in which apes are the dominant species and humans are oppressed and held in captivity. The first movie released in 1968 and starred Charlton Heston as an astronaut who crash landed on this new planet, only to discover he had jumped forward in time and was still on Earth. The film would go on to receive four sequels through 1973, with a reboot in 2001.
The franchise returned again in 2011, with a prequel trilogy initiated by Rise of the Planet of the Apes. In it, a doctor named Will helped find a cure for Alzheimer’s… which ultimately led to a young ape named Caesar to gain extra-intelligence, soon precipitating what would come in the next two films: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and War for the Planet of the Apes.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is set to pick up several years after War and will usher in a new chapter for the franchise. Wes Ball will direct the screenplay written by Josh Friedman, Patrick Aison, and Rise scribes Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver. Jaffa, Silver, Joe Hartwick Jr., and Jason Reed produce, with Peter Chernin and Jenno Topping as executive producers.
About the film, Steve Asbell, President 20th Century Studios, said:
‘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.”
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is currently scheduled to release in 2024.
