Last month, it was revealed announced that Owen Teague would star in a new “Planet Of The Apes” movie for 20th Century Studios. Now, Deadline reports that “The Witcher” star Freya Allan joins Teague in the film’s cast, and the film also has a new title: “Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes.”
READ MORE: Owen Teague Cast As Lead In New ‘Planet Of The Apes’ Film
The new film begins an all-new chapter in the “Planet Of The Apes” series, picking up decades after 2017’s “War For The Planet Of The Apes.” Peter Macon (“The Orville“) also stars in the upcoming film alongside Allan and Teague. “Maze Runner” director Wes Ball is behind the camera for the new film, while Josh Friedman, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, and Patrick Aison team up for the screenplay. Jaffa and Silver also co-produced the film with Joe Hartwick Jr., Jason Reed, with Peter Chernin and Jenno Topping executive producing.
“Planet Of The Apes” is one of 20th Century‘s most lucrative series, with the franchise earning over $1.7 billion at the worldwide box office over the years. Based on Pierre Boulle‘s 1963 book of the same name, the first “Apes” film was released in 1968 and became one of the year’s biggest commercial hits. The original film spawned four theatrical sequels and two TV series. Tim Burton piloted an ill-received remake 2001 remake with Mark Wahlberg. Then, in 2011 came a reboot, “Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes,” followed by two sequels, 2014’s “Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes” and 2017’s “Rise.”
Steve Asbell, President of 20th Century Studios, had this to say about the upcoming film in a press release: “’Planet of the Apes’ is one of the most iconic and storied science fiction franchises in film history, as well as being an indelible part of our studio’s legacy. With “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” we are privileged to continue the series’ tradition of imaginative, thought-provoking cinema, and can’t wait to share Wes’ extraordinary vision for this new chapter with audiences in 2024.”
Allan plays the lead human in the upcoming film, while Teague will play the new main ape in the series. Other casting news is on the way as the film approaches production. While Allan’s best known for her breakout role on Netflix‘s “The Witcher” alongside Henry Cavill, she has indie drama “Baghead” on the way, too. Meanwhile, Teague’s recent performances include “Gone In The Night” with Winona Ryder, “To Leslie,” and Patrick Hockstetter in “It” and “It: Chapter Two.” Macon’s credits include “NCIS,” “The Norville,” and “Shameless.”
Expect more news about “Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes” as it approaches its 2024 release though production is said to start next month. Check out a first-look pic of the film below.
