The next chapter of the Planet of the Apes franchise is swinging into high gear by casting a pair of actors for Wes Ball’s upcoming epic. Joining the cast of The Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes are Aka Darville (Jessica Jones, Her Smell) and Kevin Durand (Fruitvale Station, X-Men: Origins: Wolverine). Freya Allan (The Witcher), Owen Teague (It Chapter Two), and Peter Macon (The Orville) also star in the upcoming feature written by Josh Friedman, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, and Patrick Aison.
We don’t know who Durand will play, but smoke on the street suggests he’ll be an Ape and likely the film’s new villain.
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. 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, in a previous statement.
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, and War for the Planet of the Apes) followed. The epic science-fiction franchise got its damn dirty hands on $1.7 billion at the worldwide box office, and the time has come for the Apes to ride again.