“Godd—n you all to hell!” Fans of the classic 1968Planet of the Apeswill undoubtedly remember actor Charlton Heston’s Taylor crying out and cursing humanity for destroying the world when he and Nova (Linda Harrison) discover the shattered remains of the Statue of Liberty. And who can forget the brilliance of Andy Serkis’ heartfelt performances in the most recent Caesar-ledPlanet of the Apestrilogy?Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’directorWes Ballclearly hasn’t forgotten, and he reveals his upcoming film “is trying to be somewhere in the middle between those two.” Ball said in an interview withComicBook.com:
We tried to exist in both places. The two pillars: The Caesar trilogy and we’ve got the ‘68. And we’re trying to be somewhere in the middle between those two.
Heston starred alongside Roddy McDowall, Linda Harrison, Kim Hunter and Maurice Evans in the very firstPlanet of the Apes56 years ago. The seminal ’68 film spawned four sequels between 1970 and 1973. And then in 2011, Serkis first voiced the character of Caesar inRise of the Planet of the Apes,which also starred James Franco and Brian Cox.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Set several years after the events of War for the Planet of the Apes, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is the next installment in the Apes saga. Ape clans have taken up residence in the oasis that Caesar sought to colonize, but humans have reverted to their animalistic nature in their absence. Now battling between enslavement and freedom, outliers in the Ape clans will take sides in a newly burgeoning society.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apesfollowed in 2014 and finallyWar for the Planet of the Apesin 2017. Nearly seven years have passed since the last entry in thePlanet of the Apesfranchise. However, even with such an enduring legacy — spanning nearly 60 years — and so much potential for more storytelling, Ball wasn’t sure he had any interest in leading his upcomingKingdom.
Wes Ball Admits ‘I Wasn’t Sure That There Was a Next Movie’
Certainly, the 1968 classic still ranks asthe best of all thePlanet of the Apesmovies.Not only did it lead the way for its sequels and the Caesar trilogy, but don’t forget that the television show (1974), animated series (1975) and Tim Burton’s Mark Wahlberg-led reimagining (2001) are also a part of that legacy. ButKingdom of the Planet of the Apes’director Wes Ball “wasn’t sure that there was a next movie.” Ball said in the same interview:
“I have said this before, but I was hesitant when I was first asked about it.I wasn’t sure that there was a next movie.I wasn’t interested in making a Part Four. If we were just to do another continuation,you know, a 1-2-3-4 never works.Beginning, middle, end.Closure, perfect.And it wasn’t until we decided to do this,where there’s still a tether to those other movies, but be our own thing.”
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Director Dishes on Possible Sequels & Film’s Discarded Original Title: ‘We Couldn’t Do It’
Wes Ball discusses future follow-ups in the Planet of the Apes franchise, and reveals the chilling original title he couldn’t end up using.
Ball continued:
“That’s where I felt the freedom that we could go be our own thing,and stand on our own two feet. And then it was just a question of,‘Can we come up with a story that was worthy of telling?A chapter in this long legacy of movies that have been made over since 1968?‘That was the challenge."
The original, long-range box office forecast predicatedKingdom of the Planet of the Apesto make between $40 million and $50 millionover its opening weekend. According to a recent report byDeadline,Ball’s entry in the sci-fi franchise is now eyeing over $50 million, en route to somewhere in the neighborhood of $130 million worldwide during its global debut.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apesopens on May 10.
