“In the great tradition of these movies, it’s hopefully thought-provoking and spectacle-driven”: Wes Ball on Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

This new installment in the global franchise, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, moves the story forward a few hundred years after the reign of King Caesar, as director Wes Ball takes the story into a new chapter where apes have become the dominant species and humans have become silenced.

With stunning visuals and CGI spearheading this feature, lush and exotic landscapes give way to crumbling buildings that speak of a human history now overtaken by primates. One particular clan of apes, who have built their own infrastructure, becomes threatened when an inquisitive and headstrong young member of their tribe called Noa (Own Teague) seeks to find out more about their world, leading to a threatening encounter with another pack of apes and a young echo (human) called Mae/Nova (Freya Allen), who holds the key to some reveals of the past.

The Upcoming had the pleasure of speaking to the director about moving the story arc into the future, what people can expect coming into this new era, the joy of working to create such an epic fantasy world and his collaboration with VFX supervisor Erik Winkquest to bring this story to life.

Ezelle Alblas

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is released nationwide on 9^th May 2024.

Watch the trailer for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes here: