In Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, director Wes Ball plans to breathe new life into the franchise with a story set several generations in the future following Caesar's reign. Apes are now 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.
Given Ball's expertise in the young adult realm with The Maze Runner movies and chatter about Kingdom shifting the spotlight to a younger cast of characters, some fans have expressed concerns about the classic sci-fi franchise becoming a franchise for teens. Then, there's also the fact it has to follow the previous trilogy (no easy feat).
Well, early word is in and it's mostly very positive so far. All signs point to Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes more than living up to its predecessors, and while there are some minor niggles, it appears the franchise is in safe hands with Disney (who inherited it after merging with Fox).
We know better than to put too much stock into these early social media reactions, particularly as many of the journalists in question are likely riding high after getting to attend the movie's splashy premiere! Still, these bode well for what sounds like a must-see movie.
You can read through the first Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes verdicts in the X posts below (via SFFGazette.com).
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes stars Owen Teague (IT), Freya Allan (The Witcher), Kevin Durand (Locke & Key), Peter Macon (Shameless), and William H. Macy (Fargo).
The screenplay is by Josh Friedman (War of the Worlds) and Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver (Avatar: The Way of Water) and Patrick Aison (Prey), based on characters created by Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, a new entry in 20th Century Studios' global, epic franchise, opens exclusively in theaters on May 10, 2024.