New Planet of the Apes Movie From MCU Director Has Major Change

In surprising news, a brand new Planet of the Apes movie is in the works, with an MCU tandem attached to write and direct, and the movie set to feature a major change from past entries.

What do we know about the new Planet of the Apes movie?

According to a new report from Deadline, Matt Shakman and Josh Friedman, the director and writer behind Marvel’s recent The Fantastic Four: First Steps, are set to tackle a brand new Planet of the Apes movie. The new movie will also see longtime Apes producers Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver.

While plot details are being kept under wraps, Deadline’s report surprisingly notes that the movie will not be a continuation of 2024’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. That movie, which acted as a reboot of the film series and served as a standalone sequel to 2017’s War for the Planet of the Apes, seemed to set the stage for a new era of Apes movies, but Deadline notes this new movie is an “original story” that is being developed.

What this means for a potential Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes sequel remains unclear. In 2024, 20th Century executive Steve Asbell confirmed a new Planet of the Apes movie was in the works and set to release in 2027. At the time, many believed it to be a sequel to Kingdom, although now it’s unclear whether that is still the case, whether it’s Shakman’s movie, or something else entirely.

The Planet of the Apes franchise dates back to 1963, where it started as a novel by Pierre Boulle titled La Planète des singes. The project was adapted into a legendary film in 1968, and subsequently spawned off a television series in the 1970s as well. In 2001, a remake of the 1968 film was released, but despite its large box office success, future films were canceled.

In 2011, the series was rebooted yet again, with Rise of the Planet of the Apes. That film, directed by Rupert Wyatt and which saw Andy Serkis take on the role of Caesar, was a smash hit, and spawned two sequels, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and War for the Planet of the Apes, both of which were directed by Matt Reeves.