The Planet of the Apesreboot trilogy is one of the greatest things to happen in the twenty-first century, and withKingdom of the Planet of the Apescontinuing the saga, fans of the long-running franchise couldn’t be more grateful. The trailer forKingdom of the Planet of the Apes, the fourth film in the rebooted franchise, is finally here, meaning we can speculate on plenty of possible scenarios that could happen in the movie.
The trailer offers loads of opportunities for speculation, whether it is about the hints that the rebooted franchise is bringing the lore closer tothe originalPlanet of the Apesor the development of the Ape society, which has seen a tremendous shift since the death of Caesar, one of the best-written characters of all time. So, without further ado, here’s what we expect from the highly anticipatedKingdom of the Plane of the Apes.
Carrying Caesar’s Legacy
ThenewPlanet of the Apesfranchiseis facing one of the biggest changes withKingdom of the Planet of the Apesbecause, unlike the trilogy, there will be a change in its protagonist. With Caesar dying in the previous film,War for the Planet of the Apes, the responsibility of leading the apes who have faithfully followed him through thick and thin falls on his son, Cornelius, who, according to the trailer, is all grown up.
While it will be a significant loss for the rebooted franchise since the previous three films heavily relied on Caesar’s character, it will be interesting to see how Cornelius views the world as opposed to his father.
The Dominant Kingdom of Apes
The Human-Ape war inWar for the Planet of the Apeshas firmly established Caesar as a monumental figure within the ape race. With the majority of human settlements wiped off by either the Simian Flu or other ape hordes, the Earth has become exceptionally easier for apes to take over.
Since the plot ofKingdom of the Planet of the Apestakes place a fewyears in the future, the trailer has shown how apes have become dominant, forming colonies and colonizing new places in the same way that humans have done in the past. In fact, humans appear to have lost their intelligence with time and have devolved into primal beings, adopting old ways to survive in the new world.
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Apes vs. Apes
Thus far, all three films have focused on human-ape warfare, with the Simian Flu gradually annihilating the human race and giving an edge to the evolved apes. However, unlike the prequels,Kingdom of the Plane of the Apeswill feature a clash between these sentient beings, despite Caesar’s desire for a world where “Apes don’t kill Apes.”
The trailer also reveals that apes have split into two factions: those who capture humans to use them as slaves and those led by Cornelius, who are kind and peaceful. It is likely because the apes outside of Caesar’s teachings weresubjected to extreme traumaby humans, who resorted to vengeance and savagery to live in the new world. As a result, the upcoming film will be distinct from the prequels in terms of both human portrayal and fundamental premise.
Returning to Roots
Even thoughRise of the Planet of the Apesrebooted the original franchise, it was vastly different from 1968’sPlanet of the Apes. That is partly because the original film takes place thousands of years in the future, whereas the reboot trilogy isset in the 21st century.
However, fans have long dreamed of a return to the franchise’s beginnings, which may now be possible withKingdom of the Planet of the Apes. If there is anything that the long-term fans of thePlanet of the Apesfranchise remember in the current trailer, it is the striking parallels of the original films. In the original movie, three astronauts are stranded on a planet inhabited by apes, but they soon realize it is a futuristic Earth.
Given thatKingdom of the Planet of the Apeswill be the first installment in the new trilogy, there are still two more films to bring us closer to the main franchise by establishing connections between the storylines. For example, there have been indications thatKingdom of the Planet of the Apeswill feature Feral humans, who were a significant part of the original film. So, if the rebooted franchise is on a path to connect to the originalPlanet of the Apesfranchise, we may witness the apes' journey towards becoming the dominant species of the Earth in detail.
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Despite its vast differences from the prequels,Kingdom of the Planet of the Apesproves to remain faithful in the way it pays homage to the original franchise. It appears that Wes Ball,the director of theMaze Runnertrilogy, is replacing Matt Reeves for the upcoming film, so we could see significant changes in how he portrays the rebooted franchise. Nevertheless, fans are eager to see what he brings to the table and how it will impact the subsequent films.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apesis expected to be released on June 29, 2025.
