20th Century Studios is shaking things up with the next installment in the Planet of the Apes franchise.
According to Deadline, Matt Shakman has been tapped to direct an untitled Planet of the Apes movie, which will be written by Josh Friedman. Both were behind Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Plot details are being kept under wraps. While sources told Deadline that this new movie will not be a continuation of the most recent franchise entry, 2024’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, but a new original story, Steve Asbell, President of Production at 20th Century Studios, pushed back against that claim, writing on X, “I guess it depends on how you define ‘continuation?'”
It seems likely that the new Planet of the Apes will be set in the reboot timeline that began in Rise, but act more as a standalone sequel to Kingdom than a direct follow-up. It’s worth noting that Friedman also penned the screenplay for Kingdom, so I’m sure there will be at least some connections to the 2024 movie.
It’s a bit surprising that Wes Ball, who helmed Kingdom, wasn’t brought back, considering that he had previously spoken about the 2024 movie as being the first in a new Planet of the Apes trilogy. It’s unfortunate that he won’t be brought back to complete this vision, but, hey, that’s Hollywood! Ball might be too busy with The Legend of Zelda anyway.
We’ll keep you posted as more information about the next Planet of the Apes movie comes to light.
Did you enjoy Kingdom? Where do you think the Planet of the Apes franchise should go next?
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