Tim Burton’s attempt at rebooting the renowned sci-fi “Planet of the Apes” film franchise that took the world by storm in the early and late 70’s was unsuccessful. However, the complete reboot of the series in 2011 did what Burton was unable to do. The franchise was back in action and was stronger than ever with a better budget, action, and graphics (CGI was preferred this time instead of costumes).
The original “Planet of the Apes” was a pentalogy based on a French novel called “La Planète des singes.” It spanned over 6 years, with a continuously decreasing budget for each film — the franchise gained massive traction despite that.
After the success of the reboot’s first installment “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” in 2011, Fox released two more sequels “Dawn of the Planets of the Apes,” and “War for the Planets of the Apes,” in 2014 and 2017 respectively. The latest release and the 4th installment of the series “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” is highly anticipated.
Navigating through the “Planet of the Apes” franchise can be confusing because of certain inconsistencies in its timeline, especially for newer fans. We’ve created this guide so you have the correct order to watch the films and an explanation for lesser-answered questions about the franchise’s releases.
Planet of the Apes Franchise Releases Explained
“Planet of the Apes” is not one continuous timeline. The reboot follows the story of how the apes take control of the human world. On the other hand, the original ’70s franchise shows a world where the apes were already in power. So, while the films from both eras are about apes, they’re standalone and can be watched separately — although the reboot can be perceived as somewhat of a prequel to the original set of five films.
How To Watch “Planet of the Apes” Films In Release Order:
Let’s first understand that there are two main sets of films: the original series (started in 1968) and the reboot series (started in 2011). Both sets can be watched separately in their respective release order.
Here’s the correct release order of the original films:
- Planet of the Apes (1968)
- Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970)
- Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971)
- Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)
- Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973)
Here’s the correct release order of the reboot films:
- Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
- Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
- War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)
- Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)
How to Watch Planet of the Apes in a Chronological Order:
- Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
- Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
- War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)
- Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)
- Planet of the Apes (1968)
- Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970)
- Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971)
- Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)
- Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973)
Note: Tim Burton’s “Planet of the Apes” remake does not tie into any timeline.
Watching the reboot series first and then the original series can offer a unique chronological perspective, as the reboot series acts as a sort of prequel to the events of the original series. However, each set can be watched independently as well as they are different interpretations of the same universe.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is directed by Wes Ball and stars Owen Teague, Freya Allan, Kevin Durand, Peter Macon, and William H. Macy. The movie is all set to hit theatres all over the US on May 10, 2024.
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