Discover the vast, long-running world of Planet of the Apes with a breakdown of every film released in the franchise.
The mostly-venerable Planet of the Apes franchise has wowed and delighted audiences since its blockbuster 1968 original film. The core premise is essentially the same from film to film, with the eternal struggle between intelligent, evolved primates and the humans they view as lesser creatures.
How To Watch the Planet of the Apes Reboot Movies
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
In the mid-to-late 2000s, 20th Century Fox devised a plan to reboot the Planet of the Apes franchise. The plan came to fruition in 2011 when Rise of the Planet of the Apes, directed by Rupert Wyatt, was released to rousing success.
This film and its follow-ups exist within a new continuity, separate from the '60s and '70s installments.
The story concerns a human scientist who creates what is meant to be a cure for Alzheimer’s. What he eventually ends up with, however, is a hyper-intelligent chimpanzee named Caesar who will play a crucial role in future films.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes can be streamed on Hulu and FuboTV.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
Naturally, with Rise being a box office hit, a sequel was quickly developed. Matt Reeves of The Batman fame helmed Dawn of the Planet of the Apes in June 2014.
Dawn takes place two years after Rise. Society, as humans knew it, is in shambles as genetically enhanced apes are rapidly becoming the dominant force on Earth, with Caesar as their leader. But a contingent of human survivors threatens to cause trouble for apekind.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is available on Hulu and Max.
War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)
Another movie in the rebooted series came about in 2017. Matt Reeves returned to the director’s chair to oversee the production of War for the Planet of the Apes. The film, much like its predecessors, was quite popular and also nominated for Best Visual Effects at the Academy Awards.
Two years after Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, War tells how, as the title suggests, an all-out battle for the fate and control of Earth was waged between the human militia and the intelligence-boosted primates.
Fans can catch War for the Planet of the Apes on Hulu and Max.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)
Landing in theaters on Friday, May 10 is Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. The Maze Runner trilogy’s Wes Ball will serve as director.
Kingdom embarks into a bold new era for the reboot universe. It’s set almost three centuries after War for the Planet of the Apes, and the apes have well and truly taken over Earth. What’s left of the human population exists with primitive, regressed intelligence.
The movie’s plot revolves around a chimp named Noa who finds an unlikely companionship in the form of a young human woman. Together, they undertake a journey that could have dramatic consequences for both species.
How To Watch the Original Apes Films
Planet of the Apes (1968)
1968’s Planet of the Apes is the movie that started it all! Based on the novel La Planète des singes by French author Pierre Boulle, the film adaptation was optioned by producer Arthur P. Jacobs, who often lamented that he wasn’t the one who made King Kong.
Before entering production, The Twilight Zone mastermind Rod Serling took a crack at penning the script. And, ultimately, on a budget of $5.8 million, Planet of the Apes was born.
In the movie, human astronauts find themselves on what they believe to be a strange new planet where monkeys walk upright and communicate verbally. The film’s shocking twist ending is still often referenced today throughout pop culture.
The original Planet of the Apes is streaming on Starz.
Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970)
When 1968’s Planet of the Apes struck box office gold, a sequel was green-lit in short order. Unfortunately, Beneath the Planet of the Apes and its three cinematic follow-ups suffered from mostly increasingly diminishing returns.
Beneath’s story concerns another spaceship touching down on Earth in search of the astronauts who went missing during the original movie. The crew is horrified to discover that a subculture of mutated humans is living underground.
Beneath the Planet of the Apes is available to watch on Starz.
Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971)
Generally regarded as the best of the original Planet of the Apes sequels, ’71’s Escape from the Planet of the Apes was made despite the previous movie’s seemingly conclusive ending.
The film’s story is about a small group of apes who escape the destruction of their world by traveling back in time to then-present-day 1971. But upon their arrival in this distant past, they are treated as scientific curiosities and held captive.
Escape from the Planet of the Apes is streaming on Starz.
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)
By the early 1970s, Planet of the Apes was a hit property and Fox struck while the iron was hot, cranking out sequels yearly. In ’72 came Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, which wasn’t as well-received as the movies before it but still performed well enough for one more film afterward.
Most agree that Conquest largely eschews the nuanced, allegorical nature of the first Planet of the Apes film and the novel and instead focuses on action and spectacle. The plot, which concerns dystopian states and time loops, is evidence of this.
Those looking to check out Conquest of the Planet of the Apes can do so on Starz.
Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973)
Battle for the Planet of the Apes was the one that finally did the original film series in. It is the lowest-grossing movie in the entire franchise and after its release, Fox instead pursued an Apes TV series to continue things.
Battle follows a subjugated human population and an ape leader named Caesar, who tries to keep the peace between both sides but is unsuccessful in that endeavor.
Battle for the Planet of the Apes is also streaming on Starz.
Planet of the Apes (2001)
After the mid-’70s, the franchise lay dormant for decades, but plans for a remake were always present. In 2001, director Tim Burton, known for films like Batman and Edward Scissorhands, brought a new Planet of the Apes to theaters.
This one starred Mark Wahlberg as a human astronaut who winds up on an Earth ruled by primates, in the vein of the 1968 original. Yet, the remake was not nearly as popular as the ‘68 film. Critics panned the story, but many conceded that the visuals and ape makeup worn by the actors were nonetheless impressive.
The 2001 Planet of the Apes falls outside of both established franchise canons as a standalone project. Thus, it can be watched at basically any point during an Apes marathon or on its own entirely. It is streaming on Hulu, Starz, and FuboTV.
More Apes Than You Can Shake a Stick At
In nearly 60 years, Planet of the Apes has become quite the enduring franchise. The concept of humanlike primates ruling the globe resonates with audiences.
In addition to the theatrical features, a short-lived Planet of the Apes television series aired in 1974, and there was even a 1975 Saturday morning cartoon based on the Apes films.
Although Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes has yet to arrive in theaters, it’s shaping up to be a big success, and hopefully, it will generate enough revenue to justify more sequels.
In fact, Kingdom director Wes Ball teased the possibility of additional films last December, revealing to Entertainment Weekly that “We’ve got good ideas for what would come next.”
20th Century Studios’ Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes hits theaters on Friday, May 10.
Read more about Planet of the Apes on The Direct:
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