Planet of the Apes New Movie Is an End of an Era

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The 2024 film continued a story that began with a fresh take on the franchise in the 2010s. Although the movie was popular, fans wondered what would happen next. Now, the future of this classic science fiction series is secure, as a new film is already in the works.

Matt Shakman is directing the next Planet of the Apes film, but it won’t directly continue the story from the previous one. Even though the last movie ended with a significant cliffhanger, this new film will essentially be a fresh start within the existing timeline. This is a departure from how the recent Planet of the Apes movies have been made, and it leaves many viewers wondering what this change means for the future of the series.

The Director of the MCU’s Fantastic Four Movie is Helming the Next Planet of the Apes

Wes Ball, known for directing the Maze Runner movies, also directed this film. His work on the Apes series shared a similar adventurous spirit, and this project feels like a natural step forward in his career.

Wes Ball is directing the new live-action film, marking the first major movie or TV adaptation of the series in decades. Because the film hasn’t been released yet, Ball’s schedule is likely full, which is why he won’t be directing the next Apes movie. He’s being replaced by a director who has already successfully worked on live-action films for Disney.

Matt Shakman will direct the film. He’s known for his work on Disney+’s WandaVision and is also directing the 2025 Marvel movie, The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Considering his success with those major Disney projects, he’s a natural fit for this upcoming big-budget movie.

The success of WandaVision, especially, greatly benefited Disney+ and established the Scarlet Witch as a key character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, while fans of those stories will be thrilled, the new film won’t pick up directly after the events of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. This opens up many possibilities for the movie, but it’s also a bit of a risk.

The Next Planet of the Apes Movie Abandons the Story of Its Predecessors

The Planet of the Apes series was successfully revived in 2011 with Rise of the Planet of the Apes. This wasn’t a simple remake of the original, but rather a fresh take on the story—unlike the earlier attempt by Tim Burton. This new film launched a complete trilogy, with Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and War for the Planet of the Apes drawing inspiration from Conquest of the Planet of the Apes and Battle for the Planet of the Apes, while still forging their own unique identities.

As a long-time fan, I was thrilled to finally see the story continue with Kingdom. But it wasn’t quite a direct sequel – think of it more as a reboot, thematically speaking. It takes place 300 years after the last film, so it’s a completely new cast and a fresh take on the world, even though it definitely builds on things we’ve seen before. It’s not a restart of the timeline, but it feels like a new beginning.

The upcoming Planet of the Apes film will feel familiar because it won’t continue the story from the last movie. This is different from what happened with Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes; that film’s trilogy had a natural conclusion. So, starting fresh made sense then. However, Kingdom ended with a clear setup for a sequel, leaving audiences wanting more, which this new film won’t deliver.

It’s unclear where the new movie is headed if it doesn’t fully acknowledge the events of the first film, but also isn’t a complete restart. A good approach might be to set the new story alongside the original, rather than jumping far ahead in time and ignoring everything that came before – that would feel like an easy way out. Even then, trying to revitalize the series could easily backfire and disappoint fans, which is something the franchise really can’t afford right now.

Let’s be real, revisiting established franchises is always a gamble. You risk alienating fans, and sometimes, it just feels… unnecessary. The Planet of the Apes series is a classic, spanning over eighty years, and Kingdom really felt like a direct response to the enthusiasm for the rebooted films after War. Honestly, my biggest worry going forward is that they’ll mess up the incredible story arc that first reboot trilogy built. It’s a fine line between giving fans more of what they love and just squeezing every last dollar out of a beloved property, and I’m nervous they’ll cross it.

The movie was made at a time when the studio was cutting costs on previous installments, and the fifth and final film felt like a last-ditch effort to maximize profits and attract a younger audience. Repeating this pattern, relying solely on the established brand name, would be a mistake. The studio seemingly dismissing the previous movie’s story arc already suggests this is happening. Fortunately, the new director is skilled, and there’s still potential for this change to be successful.

How Matt Shakman Could Revamp One of Disney’s Best Franchises

Matt Shakman has directed only a few feature films, including one set to release in 2025. He’s best known for directing the visually striking series WandaVision and episodes of popular shows like Game of Thrones. Because of his limited film experience, it’s difficult to fully understand his developing directing style.

It’s true that Wes Ball is primarily known for The Maze Runner, but he generally inspires more confidence than the current Planet of the Apes director. Ball managed to elevate The Maze Runner with a surprising level of quality and visual flair. His preference for young-adult, coming-of-age stories clearly influenced how Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes was structured, and it’s no surprise he’s considered a strong candidate to direct The Legend of Zelda movie.

Shakman could really shine if the upcoming Planet of the Apes movie jumps significantly ahead in time. The new film might move beyond the setting of the previous one, creating a vastly different and more distant world.

Unlike previous films in the series which featured primitive, agricultural worlds, the next installment could showcase a highly advanced, futuristic planet completely governed by intelligent apes. This would be a more faithful adaptation of Pierre Boulle’s original Planet of the Apes novel – an idea only briefly touched upon in the Return to the Planet of the Apes cartoon. This future ape society might reinterpret relics of humanity’s past, resulting in a unique visual style reminiscent of the 1960s and 70s.

This approach connects to the era when the original Planet of the Apes films came out, and it lets director Shakman use his skills from shows like WandaVision. It’s a fresh and promising path for the series, potentially offering viewers something completely new in theaters. If they go this route, it could attract fans who appreciate the creative changes happening with the franchise.

This could indicate that the project is being approached with more creativity and care, rather than just being made for a quick profit. It’s still too early to tell if that’s true, and fans are right to be cautious about what’s to come. At the very least, we can hope the final product is reasonably good – it would be hard to make something worse than Battle for the Planet of the Apes or Tim Burton’s Planet of the Apes remake.

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2026-05-07 06:41