The new Kingdom of thePlanet of the Apes trailer reaffirms when the new movie takes place in the franchise’s timeline, and it makes a lot of sense. Kingdom of thePlanet of the Apes will tell the story of Noa, an ordinary ape who is seemingly not connected with Caesar or Cornelius. Noa lives in a society ruled by Proximus Caesar, who has become the first king of this new world but is perverting Caesar’s teachings. Kingdom is set in the same continuity as the previous three Planet of the Apes movies.
The Planet of the Apes timeline can be very confusing, especially because different types of time travel were part of the original films. The Planet of the Apes reboot trilogy, which followed the story of Caesar and the birth of the “planet of the apes,” featured many connections to the previous saga but is better perceived as its own thing. The events of Planet of the Apes (1968) have yet to be covered by this new franchise, and it might take a while before it happens. Regardless, Kingdom’s placement in the timeline is good news for the series.
When Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes Takes Place In The Franchise’s Timeline
Kingdom is a sequel to War for the Planet of the Apes
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will take place 300 years after War for the Planet of the Apes. The new Planet of the Apes film can be considered the fourth entry in the saga that began with 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which served both as a prequel to the original movies and as a reboot of the franchise. The Planet of the Apes prequels debuted in 2011, yet the movie itself was set in the “near future.” Caesar’s story is told across 12 years, at the end of which most of humanity is gone.
In terms of the original films, Kingdom of thePlanet of the Apes‘s story is still relatively far away from the events of the 1968 Planet of the Apes. The original movies and the reboot trilogy are better perceived as different timelines, although it can be assumed that the current franchise will eventually catch up with the story of the astronauts who arrived on what they assumed to be a different planet. The 300-year time jump means Kingdom can explore the world Caesar helped greatly while also moving the saga forward just enough to create something new.
Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes’ Timeline Gives It Necessary Distance From The Reboot Trilogy
The new movie can be the beginning of a new trilogy
As incredible as the Planet of the Apes reboot trilogy was, a new entry in the franchise would have to distance itself from it. On one hand, picking up the story right where War left things off could come off as cheap and risk ruining such a perfect trilogy. On the other hand, ignoring Caesa’s story altogether for a new reboot would not have worked either considering how well the previous trilogy connected with audiences. It could be argued that a new Planet of the Apes movie was not even necessary after War’s ending.
Planet Of The Apes Reboot Timeline | |
|---|---|
Movie | Year It Is Set |
Rise of the Planet of the Apes | “Near future” |
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes | 10 years after Rise |
War for the Planet of the Apes | 2 years after Dawn |
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes | 300 years after War |
Disney’s new Planet of the Apes movie needed to find the perfect balance between continuing the highly praised reboot trilogy and doing something new, which is something the 300-year time jump is helping accomplish. All of the Kingdom of thePlanet of the Apes trailers and posters have callbacks to Caesar’s story, yet they point to the beginning of a new story. The birth of the “planet of the apes” does not happen within a couple of decades but rather across centuries, and that is why having Kingdom take place 300 years after Caesa’s death works so well.
Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes’ Timeline Pushes It Closer To The Original Series
The 1968 Planet of the Apes movie takes place in the far future
The Planet of the Apes reboot franchise is now closer than ever to the original series in terms of the timeline, although there is still a large gap between Kingdom and the arrival of the astronauts. Naturally, this comparison is based on the fact that the original Planet of the Apes film took place in 3978, whereas Kingdom will be set somewhere between 2300 and 2400. If the current franchise wants to maintain the same chronology of events as the original saga, then George Taylor should not appear in Kingdom of thePlanet of the Apes.
Even if Planet of the Apes is still a thousand years away from the world George Taylor encountered in the 1968 film, Kingdom is already resembling the original movies far more than the previous trilogy did. There was barely a “planet of the apes” in the previous trilogy, which was more about the fall of humanity taking place concurrently with the rise of the apes’ society. Kingdom, on the other hand, is set in a world where apes are the dominant species, similar to what is depicted in the 1968 Planet of the Apes.
Why Freya Allan’s Character Is So Special In Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Freya Allan’s Mae is being hunted by Proximus Caesar & his apes in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, and there’s an incredibly important reason why.
From a franchise standpoint, setting the new Planet of the Apes movie between War and the original saga’s timeline allows this potential new trilogy to tell its own story without having to worry too much about what happens before or after it. Kingdom of thePlanet of the Apes and its sequel can be the perfect bridge between Caesar’s story and the world from the original saga, perhaps with the third movie ending with the arrival of the astronauts. The current franchise is still a “prequel” and can remain as such for at least one more trilogy.
Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes’ Timeline Can Allow It To Be Truly Unique
The new Planet of the Apes trilogy can stand on its own
There is no need for Planet of the Apes to remake the 1968 movie, a mistake that Tim Burton’s Planet of the Apes made in 2001. This is why 20th Century Fox’s approach to Rise of thePlanet of the Apes was so interesting. Instead of going back to the dystopian world or involving time travel, the reboot trilogy was a character-centered series about Caesar and the relationships he crafted with both humans and other apes. Whether Rise, Dawn, and War would ever tie into the original saga was irrelevant simply because of how good the new trilogy was.
The same now can be applied to Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, which could be different from both the Caesar trilogy and the original saga. Having strong continuity and Easter eggs that tease future connections is exciting, but this new entry in the franchise should be judged as a movie first. If Kingdom of thePlanet of the Apes is as good as its predecessors, then it will likely be the beginning of an exciting trilogy that will write its own chapter in the history of the Planet of the Apes franchise.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
- Release Date
- May 10, 2024
- Director
- Wes Ball
- Cast
- Kevin Durand , Freya Allan , Peter Macon , Owen Teague , Eka Darville , Sara Wiseman , Neil Sandilands
- Franchise(s)
- Planet of the Apes
