Posted in: 20th Century Studios, Movies | Tagged: film, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, planet of the apes, wes ball

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Director Explains His Reluctance

Director Wes Ball reveals the reason he was hesitant to join the Planet of the Apes franchise with Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.

In six years (released between 1968 and 1973), there was an impressive total of five Planet of the Apes films that hit theaters, obviously earning its status as a pop culture phenomenon. Then, just a year after the fifth film's release, there would even be the development of a television series (plus an animated series by 1975) and a divisive reboot film that reimagined the '70s franchise for audiences in 2001.

However, by the time 2011 rolled around, the franchise had earned a brand new prequel film series that essentially rebooted the well-known concept once more and earned itself a solid following that would lead the franchise back into an overarching story. We're quickly approaching the release of the fourth installment of that same prequel revival titled Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, with a director who was once hesitant to contribute to the ongoing narrative.

Wes Ball on Joining the Planet of the Apes Franchise Through Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

During a chat with ComicBook.com, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes director Wes Ball divulged that when approached for a fourth, he was initially on the fence, explaining, "Honestly? I said, 'No thanks. The trilogy was fine? It was a perfect little thing. It is like, 'Why do it? I'm not interested in doing a part four. It's not really fun. It's not very interesting.'" He then added, "Then a week later… [I realized] 'I think I know how to do this.' It's a big, bold choice. We're going to do a giant cut after Caesar has died, but we're not going to abandon what has come before us, essentially. So we're still in that same world. We're still in that universe. And in fact, we get to play with the idea of what has happened with Caesar's legacy, what has survived, the whole buildings are dissolving away."

As of now, there are already plans for this entry to act as the first installment of a brand-new trilogy, so there are at least two more films in development. That would also manage to surpass the original film series that started it all, so here's hoping that the franchise magic is here to stay. Based on what you've seen so far, do you think the next era has what it takes to keep audiences interested for the foreseeable future?

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes arrives in theaters on May 10, 2024.

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