The apes are on the march again, it seems.
We’ve witnessed the Rise, experienced the Dawn and trembled before the all-out War, but The Hollywood Reporter today brings word that Disney and Fox are developing a new Planet of the Apes movie with Wes Ball (The Maze Runner) in the director’s chair.
It’s unclear as yet whether this project is being angled as a continuation of the previous series, or a total reboot. Either way, it will be the first Fox IP to be overhauled since Disney’s acquisition of the studio and its lucrative assets. One thing’s for sure: this THR scoop underlines the fact that Wes Ball’s Planet of the Apes movie is in the very early stages of development, so don’t expect any tangible update until the new year.
Having guided the Maze Runner franchise to a $949M global tally, Wes Ball is an excellent choice to begin this new chapter in the Apes series.
2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes offered a modern spin on the classic tale of monkeys inheriting the earth, all the while ushering in a new era for motion-capture technology. Together with Dawn and 2017’s War, the trio grossed a staggering $1.68 billion at the worldwide box office, so it was really a question of when, rather than if, Fox would revisit the futuristic franchise.
And there you have it: a Planet of the Apes movie has officially entered the early stages of development, with The Maze Runner‘s Wes Ball behind the wheel. Only time will tell whether Ball and the Powers That Be at Fox are plotting a total refresh of the Apes franchise, or some form of continuation (a prequel, perhaps?) of the previous series, in which case Andy Serkis will surely be tipped to return in some shape or form.