Andy Serkis, who revitalized the Planet of the Apes franchise with his memorable performances as Caesar in the trilogy of films between 2011 and 2017, passed the baton to the new generation at a special screening of footage from the upcoming Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.
Also in attendance at the BFI IMAX® Theatre in London were the cast and filmmakers of the new film, including Owen Teague, Freya Allan, Kevin Durand, and director/producer Wes Ball. Hosted by Edith Bowman, the event showcased the first 32 minutes of the upcoming action-adventure and a montage.
In conjunction with the event, 20th Century Studios released a featurette focused on Serkis, as well as a brief clip from the film. In the clip, we see the new leader of the apes, who is disturbingly domineering, in contrast to Serkis’ Caesar. The featurette shows Serkis talking about how much this franchise means to him, and passing the baton to Ball and the new team. It’s great that the studio made it a point to bring back Serkis for part of the marketing, as it allows fans of the previous trilogy to better connect with the upcoming film, as well as respecting Serkis’ imprint on the franchise.
Taking place many years after the events of the original trilogy that starred Serkis, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is directed by Wes Ball, known for his work on the Maze Runner trilogy. The film is set in a future where apes have risen to dominance while humans exist on the fringes of society. As a new tyrannical ape leader emerges, a young ape embarks on a challenging journey that prompts him to question the past and shape the future for both apes and humans.
The film stars Owen Teague (IT), Freya Allan (The Witcher), Kevin Durand (Locke & Key), Peter Macon (Shameless), and William H. Macy (Fargo). The film is written by Josh Friedman (War of the Worlds), based on characters created by Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver (Avatar: The Way of Water), and the producers are Wes Ball, Joe Hartwick, Jr., p.g.a. (The Maze Runner), Rick Jaffa, p.g.a., Amanda Silver, p.g.a., Jason Reed, p.g.a. (Mulan), with Peter Chernin (the Planet of the Apes trilogy) and Jenno Topping (Ford v. Ferrari) serving as executive producers.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes premieres May 10, 2024 in theaters.
Ron is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of POC Culture. He is a big believer in the power and impact of pop culture and the importance of representation in media.
