In a recent interview with Empire, director Wes Ball and producer Joe Hartwick Jr. unveiled their ambitious plans for the upcoming film, “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” confirming that it will kickstart a brand-new trilogy in the revered Apes franchise. Scheduled for release in May 2024, the film continues the narrative introduced in the 2011 reboot, “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” and is set generations beyond Caesar’s leadership.
The storyline revolves around a young chimpanzee named Noa, portrayed by Owen Teague, embarking on a perilous journey with feral human Mae, played by Freya Allan, to thwart the tyrannical ape leader Proximus Caesar. As the future for apes and humans hangs in the balance, a new tyrannical leader emerges, setting the stage for a gripping narrative.
During the interview, Ball expressed that “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” was always envisioned as the starting point for a new trilogy. Although Ball is uncertain about directing subsequent installments, ongoing discussions with the studio indicate plans for the continuation of the story. The director hinted at a thematic shift, stating that the prior trilogy focused on “the end of humanity,” while his installment would be “very much about the beginning of something.”
Ball shared, “From the beginning, we thought about this as a trilogy. We had these grand ideas where it could ultimately go and how it could fit into the legacy of these movies. So I’m certainly talking to [the studio] right now about the next story.”
Reflecting on the thematic arc, he emphasized that the previous movies were about the end of something, marking the conclusion of a Moses-like story and the end of humanity. The new chapter, according to Ball, is “very much about the beginning of something.”
While it remains unclear whether the new films aim to connect with the 1968 world, there is potential for the franchise to explore the centuries between the rebooted trilogy and the original movies. The upcoming trilogy, beginning with “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” may continue to focus on the character Noa, providing room for further exploration in subsequent films. The possibility of a trilogy of trilogies, similar to the Star Wars model, could extend the enduring science fiction saga, captivating fans with an evolving narrative beyond the upcoming trilogy.
