MOVIE NEWS – Filming has begun on the sequel and prequel to Planet of the Apes, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, in Sydney, Australia. According to Deadline, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will be the latest installment in the decades-old iconic sci-fi franchise, and the project will be filmed at Disney Studios Australia in Sydney, New South Wales. This studio was previously known as Fox Studios Australia before the historic Disney/Fox merger.

“We’re thrilled to be filming The Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes in Sydney at the world-class Disney Studios Australia,” said Steve Asbell, president of 20th Century Studios, in a statement. “The Planet of the Apes is one of the most iconic and historic sci-fi franchises in film history and an indelible part of our studio’s legacy. Director extraordinaire Wes Ball and the cast and crew continue the series’ tradition of imaginative, thought-provoking cinema. We look forward to sharing this new chapter with audiences in 2024.”

The filming of Planet of the Apes is part of an agreement with the Australian government to partially fund the film with around $10 million. In return, the sequel/prequel to Planet of the Apes is expected to create 400 jobs for the local community while injecting around $80 million into the Australian economy. Not bad for a day’s work.

The Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes picks up after the events of Planet of the Apes War

Not much has been revealed yet about the direction of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, but it’s expected to pick up after the events of 2017’s War for the Planet of the Apes. However, don’t expect to see many familiar faces, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes picks up many years after the reign of Ceasar (Andy Serkis). Based on recently released concept art, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will take viewers to an Earth already ruled by apes, with cities reclaimed by Mother Nature.

The Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will be directed by The Maze Runner director Wes Ball, who assured fans that the beloved franchise is in safe hands. “We have a recording version. We’ve got a way to stay in the universe that was created before us, but also open up to doing really cool new things. Again, I try to be careful. All I’m saying is that fans of the original three series shouldn’t worry – they’re in good hands,” Ball said back in May 2020.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, written by Josh Friedman, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver and Patrick Aison, will star It star Owen Teague and Freya Allan of The Witcher fame, the former as the main ape and the latter as the human protagonist. X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Locke and Key star Kevin Durand has recently been cast as the main villain.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will be released in 2024 and is expected to be the first part of a new trilogy.

Source MovieWeb