Who’s ready for another blockbuster with an entirely too long title? We’ve seen the Rise, Dawn, and War for the Planet of the Apes, but now it’s time to witness the Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, which after “rise” and “dawn” should surely should have been “noon”?
20th Century Studios has released a new trailer for the upcoming film in which the story appears to have come full circle.
The two-and-a-half-minute trailer opens with a world where apes are now the dominant species, and humans have been relegated to living in the shadows. Here is where we meet Proximus Caesar, the big bad leader of the ape tribe, narrating to Noa, our protagonist, about the former world the humans ruled.
Right from the onset, you get the feeling that Proximus is not your cliché generic villain. Through this monologue, we get to understand that he harbors a deep fascination with human civilization and how they used technology to advance their way of life. In his own words, “We will learn. Apes will learn. I will learn.”
Humans had their time in the sun, and now it’s time for the apes to rule. How Proximus goes about this, however, brings Noa to question his authority. Hunting humans does not bode well with the young chimpanzee, but Proximus seems to be having no love lost for the “primitive humans.”
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is set almost 300 years after the events of War for the Planet of the Apes, so there’s no chance of Caesar coming to the rescue of the humans. Caesar isn’t the only one who is not making a return. Filmmaker Matt Reeves, who directed the last two films, will be handing over the reins to Wes Ball, a decision I’m highly skeptical of.
Wes Ball only has four films to his name, and three of those are the Maze Runner trilogy. His record doesn’t particularly inspire confidence, and it’s not a stretch to say he’ll have to prove himself worthy of the Planet of the Apes franchise. Michael Giacchino, the critically acclaimed composer who’s worked with Reeves on the Planet of the Apes films and The Batman, will also be absent.
Still, the trailer suggests the film will be rooted in the elements that made the series entertaining. If Ball can impress audiences with Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, then maybe, just maybe, people might have some hope in his next major project, a live-action adaptation of The Legend of Zelda.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will land in theaters on May 10.
