Andy Serkis Says Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Will “Blow People’s Minds”

Actor Andy Serkis helped bring Caesar to life for Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and War for the Planet of the Apes, and while he might not be directly involved in the upcoming Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, he made an impressive tease about what audiences can expect in the upcoming sequel. With Serkis’ Caesar having died at the end of War for the Planet of the Apes, the narrative is moving on from that character directly, yet details about the new film confirm that he still plays an integral component of the adventure. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes currently has a release date of May 24, 2024.

“I think [director] Wes Ball is going to do an amazing job with this film,” Serkis confirmed with CinemaBlend. “I think it’s, from what I’ve heard and what I’ve seen, there’s some amazing conceptual artwork. And where they’ve chosen to land the story and take off with the next iteration, I think it’s gonna blow people’s minds.”

While a 2001 attempt to reboot the classic franchise was a critical failure, the trilogy of films starring Serkis was a massive hit with critics, earning rave reviews for all three entries. In this regard, anticipation for this new installment is quite high, with Serkis’ remarks implying the new film could live up to its predecessors.

The Hollywood Reporter previously detailed of the film’s plot, “Many apes societies have grown from when the Moses-like Caesar brought his people to an oasis, while humans have been reduced to a feral-like existence. Some groups have never heard of Caesar, while others have contorted his teaching to build burgeoning empires. In this setting, one ape leader begins to enslave other groups to find human technology, while another ape, who watched his clan be taken, embarks on a journey to find freedom. A young human woman becomes key to latter’s quest, although she has plans of her own.”

The new film stars Owen Teague (IT), Freya Allen (The Witcher), Peter Macon (The Orville), Eka Darville (Marvel’s Jessica Jones), Kevin Durand (X-Men Origins: Wolverine), Travis Jeffery (Preacher), Neil Sandilands (Sweet Tooth), Sara Wiseman, Lydia Peckham (Cowboy Bebop), Ras-Samuel Weld A’abzgi, Dichen Lachman (Jurassic World Dominion), and William H. Macy.

The Maze Runner trilogy director Ball helms the picture from a script by Josh Friedman (War of the Worlds), Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver (Rise of the Planet of the Apes), and Patrick Aison (Prey). 

“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,” Steve Asbell, President 20th Century Studios, said in a statement previously. “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.”

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes currently has a release date of May 24, 2024.

Are you looking forward to the new movie? Let us know in the comments!