Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Will Have a Major Connection to the Original Movie

You might want to watch the original Planet of the Apes before seeing Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.

By Jamie Jirak

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is being released in May, and the new movie is set to take place hundreds of years after the previous trilogy. Director Wes Ball previously confirmed that you don't have to see the other Planet of the Apes films to understand his new entry, but it would certainly enhance the experience. "There also are lots of Easter eggs for people that are fans from the '68 version," Ball shared with members of the press back in February, referring to the franchise's original entry. In a new issue of Total Film (via /Film), one of the new movie's biggest connections to the first film was revealed...

It's been confirmed that Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will feature the "Forbidden Zone," an area that's strictly off-limits to the apes. In Planet of the Apes, it's revealed at the end of the film that this forbidden area is what's left of Manhatten, leading to the famous twist ending featuring the Statue of Liberty. In the original film, the area is kept from the apes in order to hide the fact that humans once controlled the planet. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes star, Owen Teague (Noa), explains to Total Film why the Forbidden Zone returns in the upcoming movie. 

"They're an isolationist society. It's a small village but they have a territory. And Noa isn't allowed outside that territory. The majority of the clan are kept within the boundaries."

Are All of the Planet of the Apes Movies Canon?

While the most recent Apes trilogy ties directly into Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, the original five movies might be set in their own separate universe. In fact, Ball explained to members of the press during an edit bay visit that canon has always been "loose" in this franchise. 

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"Yeah. I would consider them canon, but even in the last trilogy, even though they say Mars astronauts go missing in Rise, I don't think Matt [Reeves] really thought about time-traveling astronauts in his two movies," Ball explained. "So they're always a little fuzzy with... I don't think in this world that we're creating there's going to be a time machine that sends apes back to the... We're in a different age kind of thing for that, but we still try to... That's what I love about these movies. They still feel connected somehow, even if we do drop a few ideas that don't really hold up anymore. But Beneath, fans of that movie might see some things in this, that might remind them ... You know what I mean? ... We took all those movies in a stew and found the pieces that may hopefully feel related to ... Canon's always been a little loose in these movies, I think." 

Directed by Wes Ball, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes stars Owen Teague (IT), Freya Allan (The Witcher), Kevin Durand (Locke & Key), Peter Macon (Shameless), and William H. Macy (Fargo). The movie opens in theaters on May 10th.

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