WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes was good, but there is one $710 million box office hit from 2014 that proves that the next Planet of the Apes can be even better. Set “many generations” after the death of Caesar, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes brings the franchise closer to the original Planet of the Apes timeline. As the bridge between the previous trilogy and the world featured in the original Planet of the Apes movies, Kingdom included callbacks to almost every entry in the franchise. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes currently has an 83% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes.

The newest Planet of the Apes film had big shoes to fill after the arguably perfect trilogy starring Andy Serkis as Caesar. From the visuals to the character arcs, the previous three Planet of the Apes movies raised the bar for science fiction and blockbusters in general. A Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes sequel has yet to be confirmed, but with plans for it to the beginning of a new trilogy and solid box office results so far, it’s safe to say it will happen.

Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes Proves Kingdom’s Sequel Will Be Even Better

Dawn was the middle chapter of Caesar’s trilogy

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, the sequel to Rise of the Planet of the Apes, kept everything good about its predecessor while raising the stakes of the franchise. Dawn was arguably an improvement from Rise, even though the 2011 film had been great. Caesar is a more complex character in Dawn, which makes sense considering he was 10 years older now. The dynamic between apes and humans is a tragedy waiting to happen, and Koba makes for a fantastic villain. Based on Dawn, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes‘ sequel can be even better than the 2024 film.

Whereas Rise of the Planet of the Apes was about establishing the world and introducing the characters that could play a significant role in future sequels, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes was about testing Caesar’s spirit. Dawn was a natural follow-up to Rise, taking all the themes and storylines set up in the first movie to the next level with better technology and a more dense script. Rise of the Planet of the Apes, similar to Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, was an origin story that had to spend a lot of screen time setting up things.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes starts in the middle of the action, with Caesar and his followers living away from humans and pondering whether they are still out there. Dawn could only be the movie that it was because Rise had already done the “heavy lifting” of introducing Caesar and making audiences care about him. Considering that Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes‘ characters have properly been introduced, including new apes and humans, the next Planet of the Apes movie can be the “Dawn” of this new trilogy.

Disney’s New Planet Of The Apes Trilogy Is Already Mirroring The Previous One

Kingdom is similar to Rise in many ways

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is a sequel to War for the Planet of the Apes, but it is also the beginning of a new trilogy as the franchise continues to grow. While Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes starts with Caesar’s funeral and references Andy Serkis’ character multiple times, the film also introduces new characters and concepts that will become important in future installments. For example, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ ending reveals that there are still groups of intelligent humans out there, meaning another ape-human war could happen soon.

Replacing Caesar was no easy feat, which is why Kingdom had to spend a lot of time with Noa. This new trilogy can be the story of Noa, just like the previous one told the story of Caesar. Noa is smart and wishes to learn more about the world he lives in, which can make him a fascinating character in the next movies. There is a bittersweet feeling at the end of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes as if Noa’s understanding of the world will put him on a dangerous, dark path.

Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes Is Still The Best Planet Of The Apes Movie

Dawn took the Planet of the Apes franchise to the next level

The Planet of the Apes franchise is among the best, most consistent sci-fi sagas of all time. While not all of the original Planet of the Apes movies were as impactful as the first one, the saga that began in 1963 has delivered some of the most influential works of science fiction since its inception. Still, between a short-lived animated series and the 2001 remake, Planet of the Apes needed a fresh start. This was what Rise of the Planet of the Apes accomplished with a reboot that also worked as a prequel.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a solid film, but it is not too different from other origin story movies. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes deals with more complex themes than its predecessor and gives Caesar several moral dilemmas to solve. War for the Planet of the Apes does something similar, although its pacing is arguably not as good as Dawn’s. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is the movie the franchise needed after the original films and Rise, and it’s arguably the best in the whole saga.

Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes Perfectly Sets Up The Rest Of The Trilogy

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ ending is a new beginning

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes stands on its own, but the movie becomes much better when assuming that is the first chapter of a trilogy. Kingdom raises more questions than it answers, especially at the end of the film. Proximus Caesar was defeated, and regardless of whether he survived, the next Planet of the Apes film will likely deal with the threat posed by the remaining groups of smart humans. The future showcased in the 1968 film is still far away, although Kingdom made it clear that space is the final frontier for the series.

There is not a sense of resolution in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, with the movie instead planting the seeds for the stories the next films can tell. It’s unclear whether Freya Allen’s Mae would return in the next Planet of the Apes movie, as the franchise has a history of replacing its cast of human characters and doing time jumps. Either way, the scene between Mae and Noa subtly tells that the relationship between humans and apes will continue to be complicated and that the war for the planet isn’t over yet.