New Planet of the Apes Just Broke the Franchise's Golden Rule

Here we go again with Planet of the Apes. Just when it felt like the series was lining up for another long run, there's news out that 20th Century Studios is prepping a brand new movie. The catch? This one's apparently not picking up where the last film left off. If you're confused, welcome to the club.

What's Actually Happening?

This new project has director Matt Shakman (who did WandaVision, among other things) on board, plus writer Josh Friedman, and it's reportedly breaking away from the storyline the recent movies set up. So if you just watched Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes and figured you'd get answers somewhere down the line—like, say, what's really next for humans and apes after that not-so-final ending—you might be out of luck. The new movie is not meant as a continuation.

Recap: Where the Last One Left Off

Just for context, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024) was technically a sequel to 2017’s War for the Planet of the Apes, but it also went in its own direction—a fresh start for a potential new era. That film ends with a massive open door: humans finally make contact again, but the future for both species is wide open—peaceful coexistence or total collapse, up for grabs.

Most fans (me included) pretty much expected a string of new stories springing from this set-up—maybe even a whole new trilogy, the way the last batch of movies gave us that tight three-act arc. The foundation was right there.

So, Uh, Why the Detour?

Here's where things get odd. The new Shakman-Friedman joint is reportedly skipping the whole “let’s keep telling Kingdom's story” angle. No one's officially come out with plot details, and for all we know, there might still be a sequel to Kingdom happening way down the road—but, as of right now, this new movie has no connection to what we just watched. You'd think after teeing up a whole new era, they'd at least want to see where it goes.

To quote a source close to the production, the movie "will not be a continuation of 2024’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes."

If they really are just tossing the trilogy setup aside, I'll say it: that's a rare whiff for a franchise that's been firing on all cylinders for over a decade. I get wanting to avoid franchise burnout by doing something original, but the abrupt left turn here feels out of sync with the story's momentum.

The Big Picture

• Matt Shakman is directing; Josh Friedman is writing
• New movie is separate from the events of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
• No plot details. Just reports that it's totally original within the franchise
• Kingdom (2024) had a pretty wide-open ending that seemed to set up more films
• There were early talks about a whole new trilogy—and now, that may or may not be happening
• The studio making this, 20th Century, has actually done a really solid job with the four most recent Apes movies, so there's some hope they know what they're doing

My Take

Does the world need more sequels? Not always. But abandoning a fresh setup after a strong first entry—especially when it seemed like there was a plan—is a weird flex. That said, the people making these have earned the benefit of the doubt lately. Still, it's a bit of a letdown to watch one possible trilogy get set up just to see the rug pulled out before it can get going. Fingers crossed we eventually get to see what would've happened next in the Kingdom continuity, even if it's sitting on a shelf for now.