Disney is developing a brand-new Planet of the Apes movie.
According to Deadline, Matt Shakman (The Fantastic Four: First Steps) has been tapped to direct a brand-new Planet of the Apes movie for 20th Century Studios. Shakman will reunite with screenwriter Josh Friedman, who previously worked on Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024).
However, the report states that the project “will not be a continuation” of the 2024 film, signaling that Disney is moving away from the franchise’s latest continuity rather than continuing the storyline established in the latest Apes film series.
“While not confirmed, sources tell Deadline that this will not be a continuation of the most recent pic, 2024’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, but a new original story that Shakman and Friedman are developing. Friedman also penned that script along with Silver and Jaffa,” the outlet writes.
That marks a surprisingly fast creative reset for the franchise’s newest era.
The modern Apes storyline began in 2011 with Rise of the Planet of the Apes, directed by Rupert Wyatt and starring Andy Serkis as Caesar through groundbreaking performance-capture work. Produced for a reported $93 million budget, the film earned more than $480 million worldwide and revitalized a franchise many believed had been dormant since the early 2000s.
The series expanded dramatically under Matt Reeves with Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) and War for the Planet of the Apes (2017). Both films earned strong critical praise while becoming major commercial successes, with Dawn grossing more than $710 million globally and War bringing in nearly $500 million worldwide.
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Disney later continued the reboot continuity with Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, directed by Wes Ball. Set generations after Caesar’s death, the film introduced a new cast and storyline designed to launch another trilogy within the same continuity. The movie earned nearly $400 million worldwide and was generally well received by critics and audiences.
Now, however, Disney appears ready to leave that story behind entirely.
With all that said, the franchise has a long history of reinvention dating back to the original Planet of the Apes starring Charlton Heston. The success of that film led to multiple sequels throughout the 1970s, including Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970), Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971), Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972), and Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973).
The property later returned in 2001 with Tim Burton’s remake starring Mark Wahlberg. Although financially successful, the film was widely criticized and failed to establish a lasting cinematic universe.
It was the Caesar trilogy that finally restored the franchise’s reputation, turning Planet of the Apes into one of the most respected science fiction properties of the modern era. As such, it begs to question why Disney is rebooting the saga, despite all four films being critical and commercial successes.
There’s no release date for the untitled Planet of the Apes movie.
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