Freya Allan is going from The Witcher to telling a bunch of damn dirty apes to keep their hands off her. Allan will star in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, the latest film in 20th Century‘s Planet of the Apes franchise. Owen Teague and Peter Macron also star, with The Maze Runner helmer Wes Ball in the director’s chair. Production begins next month, marking an all-new chapter in the ongoing Apes saga.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes starts several years after the events of 2017’s War for the Planet of the Apes, directed by Matt Reeves. Josh Friedman, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, and Patrick Aison wrote the screenplay. Joe Hartwick Jr., Jaffa, Silver, and Jason Reed produce, with Peter Chernin and Jenno Topping executive producing.
“’Planet of the Apes’ is one of the most iconic and storied science fiction franchises in film history, as well as being an indelible part of our studio’s legacy. With ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ we are privileged to continue the series’ tradition of imaginative, thought-provoking cinema, and can’t wait to share Wes’ extraordinary vision for this new chapter with audiences in 2024,” said Steve Asbell, President of 20th Century Studios.
Based on a novel by Pierre Boulle, the first film in the series was released by Twentieth Century Fox in 1968. It became one of the year’s biggest hits, winning a special Academy Award and followed by four theatrical sequels and two television series. A remake, directed by Tim Burton, conquered the silver screen in 2001, and then Matt Reeves’ trilogy (Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, War for the Planet of the Apes) followed. The epic science-fiction franchise got its hairy mitts on $1.7 billion at the worldwide box office, and the time has come to start the money train over again.
In addition to revealing the title of the next Apes movie, and Allan’s inspired casting, 20th Century also shared the first look at artwork from Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. The image shows an ape on horseback looking out at an overgrown metropolis.
You can check the full image out below:
What do you think about Allan joining the cast of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes? Do you like the new title? Is Ball the right director for the job? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.