The first trailer for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes has been revealed. In the years since we bid farewell to super-intelligent simian Caesar (played by Andy Serkis), we've been wondering if we'd pick up with the story of his successors.
Now, we're pleased to announce it's official. The director of The Maze Runner, Wes Ball, hones the blend of cutting-edge performance-capture and organic real-world settings that distinguished the previous movies in the Apes series, two of which were helmed by Matt 'The Batman' Reeves. Here's the new poster.
Scroll down to find out more about Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes and take the opportunity to watch the trailer.
What do we discover in the first Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes trailer?
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes takes place several decades after the death of the genetically engineered Caesar who led his beloved ape colony to freedom before tragically passing away.
IT actor Owen Teague plays Caesar's son Cornelius (seen as an infant in the previous movies) and he is on the cusp of discovering remarkable things about the apocalyptic world in which he lives.
It appears that new ape factions are rising and challenging Caesar's philosophy of peace. Meanwhile, humans have regressed into a feral state and are rounded up by apes on horseback (an allusion to the classic hunt scene in the original 1968 Planet of the Apes movie, starring Charlton Heston).
There appears to be a new antagonistic gorilla leader against whom Cornelius and his allies are pitted. There's also a new orangutan character wearing a pendant who may be a precursor to the religious minister Doctor Zaius seen in the 1968 movie (he was played by Maurice Evans).
The name Cornelius is another implicit reference to the original movie: it was the name of the ape played by Roddy MacDowall who agreed to help Heston's stranded astronaut George Taylor.
It seems as if the new trailer is shrinking the gap between the rebooted Apes movies and the events of the original movies (there were five altogether). The trailer for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes culminates in a beach-set showdown, which may be a reference to the shocking final twist of the 1968 Planet of the Apes movie.
Watch the trailer for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes and see if you can spot more Easter Eggs.
What is the history of the Planet of the Apes saga?
The Planet of the Apes franchise began life with French author Pierre Boulle's 1963 novel La Planète des singes. This was later adapted into the 1968 movie starring Charlton Heston. The original series consisted of five films in total, followed by Tim Burton's remake in 2001.
The first instalment of the rebooted series was Rise of the Planet of the Apes and it was released in 2011. It was then followed by Dawn of the Planet of the Apes in 2014 and War for the Planet of the Apes in 2017.
The franchise has amassed more than $1.7 billion at the worldwide box office and remains one of the most celebrated and famous sci-fi sagas in the history of cinema.
Who stars in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes?
Owen Teague, best known for playing the bullying Patrick Hockstetter in the IT movies, provides the voice and performance capture movements for our new ape hero Cornelius.
The movie also stars Kevin Durand (Real Steel), Freya Allan (The Witcher), William H. Macy (Fargo) and Peter Macon (The Orville).
When is Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes released?
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is released on May 24th, 2024.
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