20th Century Studios has announced that another “Planet of the Apes” film is in the works, and has already set its writer and director according to Deadline.
Filmmaker Matt Shakman and writer Josh Friedman, the pair behind Marvel’s “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” have been enlisted to direct and write the new film. Longtime franchise producers Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver are also back.
In a surprise, it has been revealed that the film will NOT be a continuation of 2024’s “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” a movie which appeared to initially set the stage for a new run of ‘Apes’ movies.
Instead, it will be an ‘original story’ that is being developed, though specifics are under wraps. Timeline-wise it could thus take place anywhere within the series.
The franchise began back in 1963 with a series of five films, followed by Tim Burton’s one-off 2001 remake. The current iteration began with Rupert Wyatt’s “Rise of the Planet of the Apes in 2011 followed by two sequels – the Matt Reeves directed “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” and “War for the Planet of the Apes”.
“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” was released in 2024 and managed to gross $397 million worldwide from a budget in the $120-160 million range.
