Planet Of The Apes’ New Trilogy Plan Can Make The Inevitable 1968 Remake Even Better

A new trilogy in the Planet of the Apes franchise will begin with Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, and it could lay the foundation to improve upon the original movie once the timeline catches up. The latest chapter is set 300 years after War for the Planet of the Apes, and judging by Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes‘ latest trailer it’s clear that ape society has taken major strides. However, it hasn’t caught up to the level of sophistication that was seen in the original 1968 Planet of the Apes or Tim Burton’s 2001 remake.

Unless the new trilogy makes some major changes to the overarching Planet of the Apes timeline, there may still be several decades (if not centuries) of societal evolution before the inevitable remake of the original. That could either mean there are more time jumps coming in the new trilogy or the movies will change what the remake looks like. Depending on the direction the new trilogy takes, that could actually yield a more impressive and interesting remake that departs from the plot of the original.

A Planet Of The Apes Remake Will Now Be Completely Different

There is no significant twist to work towards, so the franchise is free to explore a new angle.

With all the backstory of how the modern world evolved into the world seen in Planet of the Apes, the original movie’s drama is all but nullified. The ever-expanding mystery associated with George Taylor’s crash-landing on a strange, ape-dominated planet is gone for the audience, meaning that any remake is not beholden to the story laid out in the original. It’s possible that the major beats still align with the original; the notion of a time-displaced astronaut crashing on Earth, for example, was set up by a 13-year-old Easter egg from the Planet of the Apes reboot trilogy.

However, there is a middle ground between keeping the spirit of the original and relying on it. The newly-established backstory to the entire world laid out in the Planet of the Apes franchise leaves the door open for a new direction. In that light, the Caesar-focused trilogy of the 2010s was indeed a reboot, and not a legacy prequel to the original 1968 movie. That not only frees up the new trilogy beginning with Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes the freedom to explore new territory, but also allows the inevitable remake of the original to do the same.

Planet Of The Apes Can Be Unlike Any Of The Other Modern Movies

The audience knowing the action occurs on a futuristic Earth changes the psychological intent of the movie.

Tim Burton’s 2001 remake of the original Planet of the Apes suffered by sticking to the original twist. While there were plenty of other problems present with the widely-panned remake, the biggest issue was its insistence on moving Mark Wahlberg’s George Taylor replacement character towards the same discovery about being on Earth. The problem with that is that the audience had full knowledge of the twist and endgame going in. That left an unsatisfying conclusion to the movie, and killed any chances of a sequel.

A new remake of Planet of the Apes could be unlike any other modern Planet of the Apes movie if it doesn’t carry the psychological burden of the known twist. The audience would go into a new remake with full knowledge of how the Planet of the Apes came to be, meaning the new endgame could be a total surprise. That could set the stage for an entirely new plot that progresses the timeline beyond the point of the original Planet of the Apes, which could set the franchise up for success well beyond the currently planned trilogy.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

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.

Director

Wes Ball

Release Date

May 10, 2024

Studio(s)

20th Century , Chernin Entertainment , Oddball Entertainment , Shinbone Productions

Distributor(s)

20th Century

Writers

Patrick Aison , Josh Friedman , Rick Jaffa , Amanda Silver

Cast

Kevin Durand , Freya Allan , Peter Macon , Owen Teague , Eka Darville , Sara Wiseman , Neil Sandilands