Decoding the Apes' Universe: Unraveling the Timelines

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Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will be the fourth installment in the recent Apes trilogy, known for its stunning artistic renditions and exploration of melancholic themes.

Taking place in the aftermath of the events in War for the Planet of the Apes, the film introduces new ape clans and depicts the regression of humans to a primitive state. The story follows Noa, a young chimp, and Mae, a determined woman, as they strive to prevent an ape leader from enslaving other clans and embark on a quest to uncover hidden human technology.

Director Wes Ball, in collaboration with Andy Serkis, whose performance was pivotal in the previous films' success, sets out to astonish audiences with this latest installment of the series. Their challenge lies in seamlessly incorporating essential elements from the past films while presenting a fresh and timeless perspective.

In addition to the original Planet of the Apes, there have been numerous stories that have emerged from the Apes universe. This includes a total of eight films, several books, graphic novels, and video games. The latest addition to the film franchise is Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, which continues the trilogy produced by 20th Century Fox (now known as 20th Century Studios after its acquisition by Disney).

This upcoming film will be the fourth installment in the reboot series, which began with Rise of the Planet of the Apes in 2011. Directed by Rupert Wyatt and featuring the exceptional Andy Serkis as Caesar the Ape, the first film was well-received. It was followed by the equally impressive Dawn of the Planet of the Apes in 2014 and War for the Planet of the Apes in 2017, both directed by Matt Reeves. These later films were artistically stunning and explored poignant themes, diverging from the original series from the 60s/70s in a way reminiscent of Reeves' unique take on Batman compared to that of Adam West. However, they still manage to retain a certain charm and are an important part of the overarching saga chronicling the journey of Caesar and his companions throughout the decades.

The Pentalogy of the Apes

The story of Planet of the Apes unfolds in 1972 when four astronauts awaken from their time-dilated hibernation during a space voyage. To their astonishment, they find themselves in the year 3978, more than 300 light-years away from their home. Their starship crash-lands on the Forbidden Zone, a planet inhabited by an advanced society of apes. These apes have established a theocratic society where gorillas form the labor force, orangutans oversee the government, and chimpanzees serve as intellectuals, including scientists and doctors. In this alternative world, apes have become the dominant species while humans are reduced to a primitive state. They are either hunted for entertainment or enslaved. The narrative reaches its climax with a mind-bending revelation. Heston, one of the astronauts, stumbles upon the remains of the Statue of Liberty. This shocking discovery unveils the truth that the desolate wasteland they find themselves in is none other than post-apocalyptic Earth, destroyed by a nuclear war caused by humans.

Beneath the Planet of the Apes tells the story of a rescue ship that crash-lands in the year 3955, mistakenly believed to be a different planet by the lone survivor. However, it is revealed to be the same world overrun by apes as before. The film ends with Heston leading a mission that results in the complete destruction of Earth. The final narration states, "In one of the countless billions of galaxies in the universe lies a medium-sized star, and one of its satellites, a green and insignificant planet, is now dead." This further establishes humanity as the villain, a theme already present in the previous film.

Escape from the Planet of the Apes follows the journey of two surviving apes who manage to escape Earth just before its destruction. They are transported through a time warp and find themselves in the year 1973. In this time period, they face discrimination and persecution.

Conquest of the Planet of the Apes introduces Caesar, who leads a rebellion against the oppressive humans. Despite having the advantage, Caesar chooses to show mercy to the totalitarian species.

Battle for the Planet of the Apes focuses on Caesar's efforts to maintain peace between the apes and the humans who oppress them. However, this quest for peace ultimately leads to a conflict in an epic final battle.

The ‘Rise’ of the ‘Dawn’ of the ‘War’

Then came the reboot/prequel series which started with Rise of the Planet of the Apes, providing the origins of the Planet of the Apes from a contemporary perspective. Dr. Will Rodman (played by the lackluster James Franco) develops an experimental cure for Alzheimer's disease at a capitalistic biotech company called Gen-Sys, notorious for its abusive testing on apes. When Jacobs (portrayed by David Oyelowo), a Gen-Sys executive, decides to euthanize some of their subjects, Will brings home a young chimp who is affectionately named Caesar by his ailing father Charles (portrayed by John Lithgow). Then enters the remarkable talent of Serkis, who breathes palpable life into what could have easily turned into a comically disastrous CGI creation.

All Planet of the Apes movies are available to stream on Disney Plus

Of course, humanity ultimately brings about their own downfall when Caesar steals Will's gaseous drug, unknowingly triggering a deadly pandemic known as the Simian Flu. This flu drastically reduces Earth's population, leaving only those who are genetically immune to the contagion. The events of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes unfold in this apocalyptic world, where Caesar and his family have established a thriving woodland community, believing that humanity has disappeared after not being seen for two consecutive winters. However, when a group of survivors arrive in their territory to repair a dam and restore power, the apes become divided. Some are willing to cooperate with the humans to avoid conflict, while others, particularly Koba, mistrust them due to their harsh treatment of his kind. Under Koba's leadership, the apes embark on a war.

In the film's climactic ending, Caesar tragically drops Koba to his demise, but his actions are in vain, as the survivors have alerted a nearby militia that is now heading towards the apes, ready to annihilate them. Despite the fact that the War for the Planet of the Apes has already commenced (the second and third movies should actually swap titles), Colonel, played by Woody Harrelson, arrives with his army, supported by a group of demeaned apes known as "donkeys." His entrance is shockingly brutal, as he mercilessly destroys the ape colony, mistakenly believing he has also killed Caesar. This horrific event claims the lives of Caesar's wife and eldest son, Blue Eyes. Now, the apes must embark on a journey to a discovered oasis, which Blue Eyes had found, in order to rebuild their lives after experiencing genocide.

During their escape, Caesar encounters a mute young daughter of a paramilitary soldier whom he is forced to kill. It is surprising to witness the decision to create life amidst such turmoil, but it becomes clear that this act has taught humanity valuable lessons about the consequences of the pandemic. Eventually, Caesar confronts the Colonel, who is preparing for an imminent military assault that would wipe out the apes and himself. With nothing to lose, the Colonel reveals a shocking truth to Caesar: the Simian Flu has mutated, causing those infected to regress into primitive creatures, with the loss of speech being one of the initial indicators.

Everything comes to a head when the Colonel is confronted by the mute little girl, leading to his tragic decision to end his own life due to his inability to communicate. As the military forces close in on the apes with relentless firepower, Caesar takes decisive action by detonating a gas tank. The resulting avalanche brings destruction upon both opposing military factions, enabling the apes to escape through the trees and into a post-apocalyptic world. However, Caesar's journey reaches its poignant conclusion as he gazes upon his youngest son, peacefully passing away just beyond the oasis. The aftermath of Caesar's courageous deeds leaves the human race on the brink of extinction, but the definitive fate may be revealed in the upcoming installment, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.

How the Apes Built Their 'Kingdom'

Kingdom takes place in a future era following the War for the Planet of the Apes. In this story, we follow the journey of a young chimp named Noa who discovers that new ape clans have emerged in the oasis, while humans have regressed into a primitive state. Among these new clans, one is led by Proximus Caesar, who has twisted the teachings of Caesar to enslave other clans in search of a "secret human technology." To prevent this oppressive regime, Noa forms an alliance with a young woman named Mae to reclaim freedom and restore Caesar's true legacy.

Kingdom, directed by Wes Ball and written by Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, aims to recapture the success of its trilogy in terms of visuals and tone. Owen Teague, known for his role in the It franchise, will be performing the elaborate motion capture for the character Noa, while Freya Allan from TV's The Witcher will portray his animalistic companion. One noteworthy aspect is the support and praise bestowed upon the film by Andy Serkis himself, who expressed admiration for Wes Ball and the film's incredible conceptual artwork, suggesting that it will leave a lasting impact on viewers.

The filmmakers made a wise decision by seeking advice from Serkis during the development of this new chapter in the Apes franchise. His outstanding performance was a significant contributing factor to the success of the previous three films. While Ball has proven his competence as an action director, it remains to be seen how well he can handle storytelling, as the Maze Runner films were lacking in this aspect. The essential components are in place for a deserving continuation of this longstanding series, now it is up to Ball and his team to effectively incorporate the successful elements from the previous films and present a fresh perspective for this timeless series.

Editor's P/S

The Planet of the Apes series has always been one of my favorites. I love the concept of a world where apes are the dominant species and humans are the oppressed. It's a fascinating exploration of power dynamics and what it means to be human.

The upcoming film, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, looks like it will continue the series' tradition of thought-provoking storytelling. I'm excited to see how the new characters and storylines will fit into the overall mythology. I'm also curious to see how the film will explore the themes of slavery and oppression. The Planet of the Apes series has always been relevant to current events, and I'm sure this new film will be no exception.