AceShowbiz - The Planet of the Apes franchise, once a cornerstone of blockbuster sci-fi cinema, experienced a resurgence in the 2010s following a rocky remake attempt by Tim Burton. Thanks to advances in visual effects and motion capture technology, the series was revitalized with a critically acclaimed trilogy centered on Andy Serkis’ portrayal of Caesar. This trilogy grossed over $1.5 billion worldwide, reestablishing the franchise’s prominence.

Despite the apparent conclusion of Caesar’s story in the trilogy, the franchise continued with the 2024 release of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, set centuries after the previous installment, confirming the series still retains creative momentum. Since then, however, the franchise has remained dormant with little official confirmation about forthcoming projects—until now.

According to Deadline, the next chapter in the Planet of the Apes saga has found both a writer and a director, both of whom have strong ties to Marvel projects. Josh Friedman, who scripted 2024’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, will return as writer, while Matt Shakman is set to direct. Shakman is known for his work on The Fantastic Four: First Steps and the Emmy-nominated Marvel series WandaVision, bringing extensive blockbuster and VFX experience to the franchise.

However, the news comes with a caveat: the upcoming film reportedly will not directly continue the storyline from Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Instead, it is said to be a new, original story within the franchise universe. This decision is surprising, given the significant cliffhanger left at the end of the 2024 film.

To recap, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes concluded with Freya Allan’s character Mae returning to a secret human colony hidden in an underground military base. She brings an item capable of reactivating global satellite communications, revealing that pockets of humanity still survive worldwide. This ending set the stage for humanity to potentially unite and reclaim the planet from the apes. The upcoming film’s departure from this plot thread raises questions about how the franchise intends to address this unresolved narrative.

This choice to start anew rather than follow up on existing storylines breaks from the franchise’s historical pattern. The original Planet of the Apes movies frequently ended on seemingly definitive notes that would have made sequels unlikely. Yet, sequels were made regardless—such as the 1970 film Beneath the Planet of the Apes, which ended with the planet’s destruction only to be followed by Escape from the Planet of the Apes the next year. Leaving a major storyline unresolved is unusual and could be seen as detrimental to the coherence of the series’ storytelling tradition.

Beyond the narrative concerns, there are other potential issues tied to the announcement of Matt Shakman as director. Historically, Shakman has been attached to high-profile projects but has stepped away from them before completion. For instance, he was involved in a planned live-action/hybrid adaptation of The Phantom Tollbooth in 2017 but left the project a year later. He was also linked to a new Star Trek film in 2021 but exited in favor of directing Marvel’s Fantastic Four: First Steps.

This history raises questions about Shakman’s long-term availability for the Planet of the Apes franchise. Additionally, his commitment to the new Fantastic Four film could lead to scheduling conflicts. Although Marvel has not confirmed any plans for a sequel to The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the characters are slated to appear in upcoming films like Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars, which are still several years away. This timeline suggests that Shakman might eventually have to choose between continuing work on the Fantastic Four and directing additional Planet of the Apes movies.

A notable coincidence is that Marvel Comics is currently publishing a crossover miniseries titled Planet of the Apes vs. Fantastic Four, marking the first-ever meeting between these two iconic franchises. Shakman’s involvement in both properties adds an intriguing layer to this connection, although the new film's storyline reportedly will be distinct from this crossover material.

In summary, the Planet of the Apes franchise’s next installment is shaping up to be a fresh narrative directed by a filmmaker with strong Marvel credentials, which could bring new energy and technical expertise to the series. However, the decision to forge a new story path while leaving the significant cliffhanger from Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes unresolved may disappoint fans expecting continuity. Furthermore, Shakman’s past project departures and current commitments raise questions about the long-term direction of the franchise.

With the legacy of the Planet of the Apes films defined by their bold storytelling and unexpected sequels, the forthcoming movie’s approach will be closely watched by audiences and industry experts alike. Whether this new direction will revitalize the series or create narrative challenges remains to be seen as production moves forward.