Kingdom of the Planet of the Planet of the Apes is envisioned as the start of a new Planet of the Apes trilogy, and these plans will help the franchise break a 51-year-old record. The original sci-fi series that began in 1968 made a major return in 2011 with the launch of a reboot starring Andy Serkis. The success of these movies allowed the franchise to continue moving further down the Planet of the Apes timeline, with Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes‘ ending teasing what the future holds for apes and humans.

Even before Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes was released, Disney and 20th Century Studios indicated that this would not be a standalone venture for the franchise. Hopes of it launching a new Planet of the Apes trilogy were made known, even if the studios held back on officially confirming the additional installments. With Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes shaping up to be a success, there is a stronger chance that these plans will come to fruition. This will mean Planet of the Apes will break a long-lasting franchise record.

Planet Of The Apes Will Surpass The Original Series’ Length With New Trilogy

The Original Series Ran For 5 Movies

The plans for a new Planet of the Apes trilogy means that the series is heading for a new franchise record in terms of a single continuity’s length. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes might take place 300 years after Caesar’s death and the conclusion of his story from the modern three films, but it is still very much connected to that era of the series. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes‘ release pushes the current run to last for four movies.

The plans for it to start a new trilogy mean that this Planet of the Apes story will run for six movies, which is a new record for the property. Previously, the original Planet of the Apes movies set the record by making five movies that were all interconnected. The original franchise came to an end with 1973’s Battle for the Planet of the Apes. The series was then rebooted with Tim Burton’s single film. If the new Planet of the Apes trilogy comes to fruition, then audiences will see one more installment in this new era than the record.

Planet Of The Apes’ New Trilogy Plan Looks Likely After Kingdom’s Box Office

Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes Has Already Made $240 Million Worldwide

A new Planet of the Apes trilogy actually happening is gaining momentum thanks to the success of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. The 2024 release met projections for its opening weekend domestically and came in on par with previous installments from the Andy Serkis-led films. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes has managed to make over $240 million worldwide in less than two weeks. The film is already nearing its mark to break even and then becoming profitable for the studios.

With Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes‘ box office proving audiences are still interested in visiting this franchise, Disney and 20th Century Studios should not hesitate to move forward with more movies. Audiences should at least be able to expect that Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes‘s sequel will happen. This will at least make the current Planet of the Apes franchise tie the original series in terms of length. A sixth film should still be expected to come after as long as the demand is high enough

Planet Of The Apes Is Prepared To Go Well Beyond 6 Movies

A 9 Movie Saga Is The Goal

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes‘ new trilogy is part of a bigger plan for the entire franchise. Franchise producers told THR that the original vision for the modern reboot was to make nine movies. Rise of the Planet of the Apes was the first film in this plan, with Kingdom bringing the series to having four installments. A new trilogy beginning here would help bring the total to six movies. While that could ultimately be where the franchise’s current saga concludes, knowing that there is hope for nine films overall is massive.

Audiences could still have another entire new trilogy of Planet of the Apes movies on the way even after Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes and its two possible sequels. Whether the franchise actually achieves the goal of making nine movies is unknown at this time and completely dependent on how well the current new films perform. If everything goes according to plan, the modern Planet of the Apes saga will destroy the original franchise’s longevity by making four more installments over a much longer time span.

Source: THR