In 2024,Kingdom of the Planet of the Apesintroduced an entirely new era to the long-running sci-fi franchise, and in the same vein,there is onePlanet of the Apestrend that the next movies should not repeat.After three movies dedicated to the rise of Caesar and his ape society,Kingdom of the Planet of the Apesjumps forward several generationsto center on Noa, a young ape whose world comes to a standstill when a rival ape population overtakes his village. This new era of apes is different, but has the potential to be truly great.
When it comes to afranchise as long-standing asPlanet of the Apes,there are many questions about how the series should change over time, or opposedly, how it should stay the same. Clearly, audiences are infatuated with these walking, talking apes, so that is one element ofPlanet of the Apesthat should never change. However,if the newestPlanet of the Apesmovies want to stand out from their predecessors, some changes will definitely be necessary. Hopefully, they will be for the betterment of the future movies, and the franchise as a whole.
Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes’ Sequel Shouldn’t Have A Major Time Jump
What Should Kingdom’s Sequel Be About?
One change that should definitely take place betweenRise of the Planet of the ApesandKingdom of the Planet of the Apesis that the new era should not include such vast time jumps. Obviously,Kingdomhad to jump ahead hundreds of years to differentiate itself from Caesar’s time, but it would be beneficial for the franchise to stay in this realm of ape society.After the political intrigue and ape-human relationships presented inKingdom,viewers would likely want to learn more about this time periodrather than jumping forward into a completely new space.
Kingdomset up several avenues where its sequel could go down. Based onthe end ofKingdom of the Planet of the Apes,it seems that the humans have some tricks up their sleeve that may help them gain dominance over the apes once again. Exploring this tension between the humans and the apes will be pivotal. Furthermore, after the defeat of Proximus, Noa will likely have a better standing in his community.To see Noa grow into a new kind of Caesar would be especially exciting, so too much time cannot pass betweenKingdomand its sequel.
Caesar’s Planet Of The Apes Trilogy Was Told Across Decades, And It Worked
Why Caesar’s Story Needed Its Time Jumps
One big reason why time jumps should not be included inthe newPlanet of the Apestrilogyis because they played such a big role in Caesar’s movies. Over the course of the three films,audiences jumped from Caesar’s youth to the prime of his adulthood to his older years.These time jumps were necessary to show how the world changed to a planet ruled by apes. Surprisingly, these time jumps were not confusing or unwarranted, and in fact, they led to some great benefits for the franchise. Caesar’s story became one of epic proportions.
Caesar’s Scene In Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes Proved Disney Made The Right Decision After $1.7 Billion Trilogy
Despite his death centuries before, Caesar was still a key part of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, and it was the right decision for the film.
Arguably, Caesar’s story needed its time jumps to be successful. Each film opened on what seemed like an entirely new world, and that gave audiences something of a blank slate. Viewers could dive back into Caesar’s life and the lives of his companions, but also be excited by new additions such as unique visuals and new human cast members. Ultimately,Caesar’s story needed to span over a long period of time, and with only three movies, time jumps were inevitable. However, Noa’s story does not need to be the same. In fact, it should strive to be different.
Not Having A Time Jump Would Help Kingdom’s Sequel Stand Out From The Caesar Movies
Where Planet Of The Apes Is Heading
Removing significant time jumps fromKingdom of the Planet of the Apes’sequels would help the trilogy stand out from its predecessors, and more than that, would lend itself to better storytelling. It was risky to completely rearrange the main cast of the franchise, butKingdomsucceeded. Therefore, the next movies must stick with these characters and allow audiences to know and love them.Noa’s story may be as grand as Caesar’s, but the movie has already set up enough story that it doesn’t need to jump forwardtoo far to be interesting.
At the moment, it is clear thatPlanet of the Apeswill continue with at least two more movies.
At the moment, it is clear thatPlanet of the Apeswill continue with at least two more movies.The next is slated for a 2027 release, though details about the story have yet to be announced. Presumably,Kingdom 2will return to Noaand his story of leadership among the apes. The franchise may also see the return of Mae, who showcased a different kind of human role. Regardless,Kingdom of thePlanet of the Apesseems to be heading for a full circle moment, and to stick the landing, it needs to keep audiences invested and surprised.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Cast
Set several years after the events of War for the Planet of the Apes, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is the next installment in the Apes saga. Ape clans have taken up residence in the oasis that Caesar sought to colonize, but humans have reverted to their animalistic nature in their absence. Now battling between enslavement and freedom, outliers in the Ape clans will take sides in a newly burgeoning society.
