The Apes trilogy – Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and War for the Planet of the Apes – truly changed me. And now, we’re going to be getting a new film from this franchise – Kingdom for the Planet of the Apes.
The films were a reboot of the classic Apes franchise, with the releases of Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and War for the Planet of the Apes. Now, years later, we are going to be getting Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. But, who is going to be in this film? And what is it going to be about? If you’re as curious as we are, here is what we know so far about one of the biggest releases on the 2024 movie schedule.
What Is The Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes Release Date?
It’s been confirmed that Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is set to come out on May 24, 2024, according to The Hollywood Reporter, so get ready for an awesome spring release.
Check Out The Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes Trailer
The trailer for The Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes features our new characters in a civilization that has been overtaken by apes, where humans are now seen as feral creatures and are the ones hunted. But one girl that they capture changes it all. The trailer teases plenty of action, apes riding horseback, and so much fighting that I’m eager to see it already.
Owen Teague, Freya Allen And More Make Up The Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes Cast.
So with a new cast, there is bound to be plenty of great additions that you can expect, and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is no exception. The Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes cast is stacked with stars:
Owen Teague as Noa
According to Deadline, Owen Teague is going to be the star of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.
In an interview that the director, Wes Ball, did with Empire in November 2023, it was revealed that Teague’s character is named Noa.
Teague even got the chance to talk about Noa in an interview with Entertainment Weekly in February 2024, saying that Noa is really a simple character that is “thrust” into this adventure:
They have their borders, and they really keep to themselves. We meet Noa when he's just entering adulthood, and he and his friends are about to have their coming-of-age ceremony, it’s their ape bar mitzvah, really. Then Noa gets thrust into this crazy, unexplored world that he’s been sheltered from his entire life. He has to go on this journey to get his people out of some trouble, but in the process learns a lot about what’s really out there. The kind of driving thing for him was curiosity and this wonder that he feels for all this stuff he's learning.
The actor has appeared in a variety of movies and shows before. He was in films like It Chapter Two, To Leslie, The Empty Man, and more. He’s also had an appearance in an episode of Black Mirror, and had a main role on both Mrs. Fletcher and The Stand. He’s certainly going to be getting an awesome leading role with something like this.
Freya Allen
Freya Allen was confirmed to have a big part, as confirmed by Deadline. The actress has been making strides due to her role as Ciri in the popular fantasy series, The Witcher, and now she’s going to have a role in the next entry of this franchise.
Freya Allen even teased her role in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes in an interview with Total Film in January 2024, saying that it was “the proudest moment” of her career yet:
It was incredible. I watched a lot of the series beforehand and yeah, it's my proudest moment in my career so far. I'm really excited for it to come out, and proud of everyone involved – all the other actors and the director, Wes Ball, are fantastic. Everyone behind the scenes is just brilliant. I can't really say anything, but I'm telling you now, go and see it.
Eka Darville
Also cast is Eka Darville, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Darville is primarily known for his role in the Netflix Marvel series, Jessica Jones, but he’s also appeared in other shows such as The Originals, Power Rangers RPM and Empire. Most recently, he was in the Paramount+ original television show, Tell Me A Story.
William H. Macy
Another big actor that was confirmed, according to Deadline, is William H. Macy. While Macy has appeared in many big movies and television shows, I primarily know him as Frank Gallagher from the hit Showtime series, Shameless, which garnered him several award nominations, and it’s so exciting to see him in something as big as this.
Kevin Durand
Kevin Durand (Locke & Key) is also set to join Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, according to Deadline. The actor’s role in the film is still unconfirmed, but according to the outlet, many sources have told them that he will be playing an ape that might be a new villain.
Dichen Lachman
Another casting member that is joining is Dichen Lachman (Severance), which was confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter, in another undisclosed role.
Travis Jeffery
Several other actors were confirmed for the cast of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes as well. According to Deadline in October 2022, Travis Jeffery was the first to be confirmed. He’s appeared in films like Before Dawn and Bloody Hell, but has also had roles in TV shows like Rotten, Amazing Grace, Home and Away and more.
Neil Sandilands
The October 2022 Deadline article also confirmed Neil Sandilands for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. The actor has appeared in shows like The 100, The Flash, Sweet Tooth, and more.
Sara Wiseman
The October 2022 Deadline article confirmed that Sara Wiseman would join the cast of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. She’s appeared in shows like Mercy Peak and A Place to Call Home, as well as films like Love Birds and Nerve.
Ras-Samuel Welda’abzgi
The October 2022 Deadline article also confirmed Ras-Samuel Welda’abzgi would appear in the upcoming movie. He’s appeared in the TV miniseries, The Clearing.
Lydia Peckham
Last but not least, Lydia Peckham was also confirmed from that October 2022 Deadline article. The actress has appeared in shows like Mr. Corman and Cowboy Bebop.
Talk about an impressive cast — one that I can’t wait to see.
The Movie Will Take Place Many Years After The Last Trilogy
The trilogy of movies from 2011 – 2014 followed the story of apes slowly taking over the planet, from Caesar’s dawn of learning how to speak to him building an entire empire towards the end. So, what could this new movie be about?
The first real synopsis that we got is from the Deadline article that confirmed Freya Allen’s casting, saying that this film will be taking place several years after the last one (War for the Planet of the Apes).
If you like Andy Serkis in the Apes movies, check out his other roles.
For those who don’t remember what happened at the end of that movie, the apes have reached an oasis to keep themselves safe, but Caesar dies, leaving his son and family behind.
Later on, when the casting news about Dichen Lachman was revealed, it was confirmed that the movie is taking place many years later and that ape societies have flourished in that time. Then, in that same interview from Empire in November 2023, Ball confirmed that the film does indeed jump forward many, many years – so much so that Ball believes most of Caesar’s living relatives are dead:
I wanted to do a big leap forward in time. It’s significant enough that Caesar is still a spirit in the movie, but most of his living relatives are not in this picture. If the last three movies were the Stone Age, here we get to see what happens when they enter the Bronze Age.
Furthermore, in an interview with ScreenRant in April 2024, Wes Ball knows that it’s not the film people were really expecting, but it’s a new, fresh story that is a “new page” in a long legacy of Apes films:
We are an extension, a continuation of that Caesar legacy, but we are our own new characters and story, and it opens up new opportunities. I know there's people that wanted to see Cornelius and The Adventures of Cornelius. Someone can still do that story. But the fact that we got to have this distance from that movie, it just opened up new opportunities that are going to let us do something even more exciting and big than maybe people were expecting. So I'm really excited. I think we picked the right way to do this and so it doesn't just feel like a part four. It feels like a new chapter, a new page in this long awesome legacy of movies.
I mean, I am ready for a new story – and this sounds like a great one.
Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes Will Be Grounded In Reality With A Quest Narrative
For those who don’t remember, the last three films of the Planet of the Apes franchise have mainly stayed relatively grounded in tone. While there are certainly sci-fi aspects, many of the films have contained stories that truly continue the narrative of Caesar’s life in such a great way. Ball also confirmed in that interview with Empire that new film will be “grounded in reality” but follow a bit of a “quest narrative,” which is unlike many other Apes movies:
It’s all still very grounded in reality, but it is essentially a quest narrative. Our main character – the young, impressionable Noa [Owen Teague] – meets characters along the way and becomes awakened as he winds up in a place that will test him, and he ultimately becomes his true self – we haven’t kiddified it, or Disneyfied it, if I’m allowed to say that! But we have brought a younger spirit to it.
I’m always eager for a new hero – and I have a feeling this one is going to be one of the best out there.
Wes Ball Directed The Film
As talked about previously, Wes Ball directed the film, which was originally reported by The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that Wes Ball is directing. Ball has worked as a director in the film franchise, The Maze Runner, and this will be his first directing credit since those films were released.
The directors of the last trilogy for the Planet of the Apes franchise were Rupert Wyatt, who directed Rise, and Matt Reeves, who directed Dawn and War, and has been on a kick lately with some awesome releases such as The Batman.
While a part of me would love to see them come back to the franchise, I have a lot of faith in Ball because I’ve seen the Maze Runner movies and I know just how much fun they are.
What are you eager for with Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes? Do you think it’s going to be just as good as the last three films? Are you excited for this fresh start? I’m practically waiting on the edge of my seat to find out more.
