2017’s “War For The Planet Of The Apes” marked the end of Matt Reeves’ “Planet Of The Apes” reboot trilogy (started by filmmaker director Rupert Wyatt). That series was originally conceived of by screenwriters Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, who remained exec producers on all three films, and they are back as central players in the next installment of this series, “Kingdom Of The Planet of the Apes” which takes place nearly 300 years after the events of “War For The Planet Of The Apes.”
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Screenwriters on the project include Josh Friedman, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, and Patrick Aison, and this time, stepping in for Matt Reeves, who has gone and left to do his own “Batman” reboot trilogy, is filmmaker Wes Ball, known for the “Maze Runner” trilogy.
This new version, ‘Kingdom,’ doesn’t have a lot of stars. The picture features Owen Teague (“IT” and “It Chapter Two”) in the lead role alongside Freya Allan (“The Witcher”), Kevin Durand, Peter Macon, and William H. Macy. But perhaps 20th Century Studios has realized that its apes, not actors, that are the stars on screen and maybe one way to bring the budgets down on these movies—given how VFX heavy they are, is to go with lesser-knowns who are still quality thespians, but all the budget is seen on screen rather than going towards bankable stars.
Whatever the case may be, the film’s creative team and producers, Wes Ball, Joe Hartwick, Jr., Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, and Jason Reed, have decided against huge names and banking on up-and-coming talent instead.
Here’s the official synopsis:
Director Wes Ball breathes new life into the global epic franchise set several generations in the future following Caesar’s reign, in which apes are the dominant species living harmoniously, and humans have been reduced to living in the shadows. As a new tyrannical ape leader builds his empire, one young ape undertakes a harrowing journey that will cause him to question all that he has known about the past and to make choices that will define a future for apes and humans alike.
20th Century Studios’ new entry in the studio’s global epic franchise, “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” will open in theaters nationwide on May 24, 2024. Watch the new Super Bowl trailer below.