The new Planet of the Apes sequel has an official title and new cast members, as revealed by 20th Century Studios. Among the new cast members is The Witcher star Freya Allan, whose casting was announced along with first-look concept art at Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.
The new Planet of the Apes film series launched with 2011's Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which chronicled the origin story of Andy Serkis' Caesar, a lab test chimpanzee whose intelligence is vastly increased by an experimental Alzheimer's drug spearheaded by his friend and caretaker, Dr. William Rodman (James Franco). Caesar begins to question his place in the world and eventually leads a revolution alongside apes who were subjected to horrible treatment in zoos or labs, a choice that leads to the downfall of humans over the course of the sequels, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and War for the Planet of the Apes.
Deadline reports that Allan is set to join Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes alongside newcomer Peter Macon. The two co-star opposite Owen Teague, who was cast to play the new lead Ape who will presumably fill the role left by Caesar after the events of War for the Planet of the Apes. "Planet of the Apes is one of the most iconic and storied science fiction franchises in film history, as well as being an indelible part of our studio’s legacy,” said 20th Century Studios president Steve Asbell in a statement. "With Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes we are privileged to continue the series’ tradition of imaginative, thought-provoking cinema, and can’t wait to share Wes’ extraordinary vision for this new chapter with audiences in 2024."
20th Century Studios also unveiled new concept art for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, offering a new look at the world several years after the events of War for the Planet of the Apes. Production on the new Planet of the Apes film is slated to begin in October 2022 with Maze Runner director Wes Ball at the helm. Allen reportedly landed her undisclosed role after several tests that included a final audition in front of Ball himself while the director was scouting locations. Screenplay duties will be handled by Josh Friedman, Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver and Patrick Aison.
Little else has been revealed about the new Planet of the Apes film, but considering the original series of films tells the story of an advanced civilization of apes that are nearly human-like, fans can likely expect this newest installment to bring the storyline ever close to the world that launched the film franchise 1968.
The Planet of the Apes reboot films were acclaimed for their ability to tell a compelling story with a CG ape as their central protagonist, but Ball is taking over the franchise from directors Rupert Wyatt (Rise) and Matt Reeves (Dawn, War) for the first time. Whether he can live up to the previous three films remains to be seen, but audiences are likely excited to find out.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is scheduled to be released in 2024.
Source: Deadline