Wes Ball (“The Maze Runner” trilogy) to Direct New Chapter in the “Apes” Saga, Starring Owen Teague (“It”), Freya Allen (“The Witcher”) and Peter Macon (“The Orville”)
20th Century Studios’ “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” starring Owen Teague (“It”), Freya Allen (“The Witcher”) and Peter Macon (“The Orville”), will begin production next month under the direction of Wes Ball (“The Maze Runner” trilogy). This film starts an all-new chapter in the “Planet of the Apes” saga, picking up many years after the conclusion of 2017’s “War for the Planet of the Apes.” The screenplay is by Josh Friedman (“War of the Worlds”), Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver (“Rise of the Planet of the Apes”), and Patrick Aison (“Prey”). Joe Hartwick Jr. (“The Maze Runner” trilogy), Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver and Jason Reed (“Mulan”) are the film’s producers. Peter Chernin and Jenno Topping are the executive producers.
Steve Asbell, President 20th Century Studios said, “’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. 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.”
“Planet of the Apes” is one of 20th Century Studios’ most popular and enduring franchises, amassing more than $1.7 billion worldwide. Based on a novel by Pierre Boulle, the first film in the series was released by Twentieth Century-Fox in 1968 and went on to become one of the year’s biggest hits, winning a special Academy Award® and followed by four theatrical sequels and two television series. A remake, “Planet of the Apes,” directed by Tim Burton, was released in 2001, then a 2011 reboot, “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” was followed by two sequels, 2014’s “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” and 2017’s “War for the Planet of the Apes.”
Dan Kleiner