The classic sci-fi franchise grew even larger in 2024 with the release of the latest Planet of the Apes movie in 2024, but will there be a Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes sequel? The film franchise debuted with the release of the 1968 movie loosely based on Pierre Boulle’s novel which concerns a band of astronauts crash-landing on Earth in the distant future and find that is run by intelligent apes who enslave humans. Across a slew of sequels throughout the ’70s, the hit movie grew into a franchise, even if critical and commercial results dipped dramatically.
A failed Planet of the Apes remake by Tim Burton attempted to reboot the beloved series, but the franchise’s true return to glory came with the release of 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes. The blockbuster prequel kicked off a trilogy of films across the 2010s that explained humanity’s fall and the rise of the intelligent apes. A fourth film, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, arrived in 2024 and moves forward in the timeline a bit, and has the potential to set up a whole new series of Planet of the Apes prequel films.
The return of the blockbuster Planet of the Apes franchise in 2024’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes was a welcome sight for moviegoers, but a sequel hasn’t been green-lit yet. This move isn’t particularly surprising, but its unconfirmed status isn’t likely going to last very long, especially if Kingdom can gross as much at the box office as its predecessors. Rise, Dawn, and War for the Planet of the Apes were certified smash-hits, and there’s no reason to think that Wes Ball’s latest installment won’t follow suit.
One telling sign about the future of the franchise comes within the movie itself, and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes clearly tips its hand in revealing that the story is only just the beginning. Though the timeline of the Planet of the Apes franchise is a bit murky, it’s safe to assume that there are still hundreds if not thousands of years left between Kingdom and 1968’s original movie. This opens the door for not just another trilogy, but even more beyond that.
Though it’s difficult to say exactly what direction a sequel to Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will go in, it’s safe to assume that it will pick up close to the end of its predecessor. That means that many of the surviving characters of Kingdom will be back to reprise their roles, especially since new factions were established that set up future conflict. Two crucial returns include Freya Allan as the intelligent human Mae and Owen Teague as the new leader of the Eagle Clan, the chimpanzee named Noa. Kingdom also teased a larger intelligent human colony, which suggests more characters in the future.
The presumptive cast of a Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes sequel includes:
As has been the case for the entire Planet of the Apes prequel series, the ending of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes was anything but conclusive. With Proximus Caesar defeated, the immediate threat to ape and humankind has been temporarily neutralized, but a successor to Proximus’ crown will likely rise to challenge the newfound leader of the Eagle Clan, Noa. Elsewhere, the shaky truce between Mae and Noa won’t last much longer as Mae’s true intentions were laid bare to the audience but not to Noa.
Though she spared Noa’s life after they successfully destroyed the human vault, their mutual interest has expired and they will likely be enemies in the future. The revelation that Mae is just one of many intelligent humans sets up another faction to enter the mix, and a Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes sequel could involve a three-way battle between the smart humans, the Eagle Clan, and Caesar’s kingdom.