It’s been more than five decades since the original ‘Planet of the Apes’ movie was released, and the years have served only to reveal more of the storyline. ‘Planet of the Apes’ is one of the most popular sci-fi film franchises in history; it was originally inspired by the novel ‘La Planète des Singes’ written by Pierre Boulle. The franchise almost entirely revolves around the struggle for existence between humans and intelligent apes.
However, the franchise is massive, and today, ‘Planet of the Apes’ spans nine installments and two TV shows. With so many films having similar titles and so many reboots, it may be tough to keep track of all the films. This frequently leads to the question: What is the best order to watch the movies? Fear not, because today we deliver you with the ultimate ‘Planet of the Apes’ watch order.
Editor’s Note: This watch order was updated in November 2023 with the latest news regarding the franchise.
All 9 ‘Planet of the Apes’ movies & TV shows in release date order
The franchise started back in 1968, and in the first ten years, it gave rise to 4 movies and 2 TV shows. Then we have a remake that was released in 2001, and ten years later, the franchise was rebooted successfully. Here’s the release date order of the entire ‘Planet of the Apes’ franchise.
- ‘Planet of the Apes’ (1968)
- ‘Beneath the Planet of the Apes’ (1970)
- ‘Escape from the Planet of the Apes’ (1971)
- ‘Conquest of the Planet of the Apes’ (1972)
- ‘Battle for the Planet of the Apes’ (1973)
- ‘Planet of the Apes’ – TV Series (1974)
- ‘Return to the Planet of the Apes’ (1975-1976)
- ‘Planet of the Apes’ (2001)
- ‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’ (2011)
- ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’ (2014)
- ‘War for the Planet of the Apes’ (2017)
Are all ‘Planet of the Apes’ movies connected? What’s the best way to watch them?
All ‘Planet of the Apes’ movies draw their inspiration from the original book, but there are three separate continuities to keep track of. The original continuity was established by movies released between 1968 and 1973 and includes TV shows as well. The second continuity was established with a remake released in 2001.
The current continuity spans movies released between 2011 and 2017, as well as all future installments. The best way to watch the franchise honestly is in release date order.
All 9 ‘Planet of the Apes’ movies in chronological order
‘Planet of the Apes’ continuity is fairly simple once you get the sense of which series of films you are following. Based on what we’ve written above, we can separate the movies in the following chronological order:
1. Prequels / Reboot continuity
- ‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’ (2011)
- ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’ (2014)
- ‘War for the Planet of the Apes’ (2017)
In the ‘Planet of the Apes’ reboot series, initiated with ‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’ (2011), scientist Will Rodman’s experiments with an Alzheimer’s cure inadvertently result in the evolution of intelligent apes, with Caesar emerging as their leader. ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’ (2014) explores the fragile peace between the intelligent apes and human survivors in a post-apocalyptic world, highlighting the challenges of coexistence.
The final installment, ‘War for the Planet of the Apes’ (2017), depicts Caesar’s quest for vengeance against a ruthless human military, delving into the moral complexities of war and ultimately establishing a new society for the intelligent apes. The reboot series serves as a prequel to the original 1968 film, offering insight into the origins of the conflict between humans and apes.
2. Original continuity
- ‘Planet of the Apes’ (1968)
- ‘Beneath the Planet of the Apes’ (1970)
- ‘Escape from the Planet of the Apes’ (1971)
- ‘Conquest of the Planet of the Apes’ (1972)
- ‘Battle for the Planet of the Apes’ (1973)
- ‘Planet of the Apes’ – TV Series (1974)
- ‘Return to the Planet of the Apes’ (1975-1976)
In the original ‘Planet of the Apes’ film series, astronaut George Taylor crash-lands on a planet ruled by intelligent apes, discovering that humans are mute and primitive. The sequels explore the consequences of humanity’s self-destructive nature, introduce time travel with intelligent apes arriving in the 1970s, and depict a dystopian future where enslaved apes revolt against human oppression.
The series concludes with a post-apocalyptic setting, focusing on Caesar’s efforts to establish peace between humans and apes, culminating in a battle for the planet’s future. The overarching narrative explores themes of societal collapse, rebellion, and the complexities of coexistence between humans and intelligent apes.
The TV series (both live-action and animated) are based on the events of the movies while introducing new plots and storylines. ‘Return to the Planet of the Apes’ animated series, however, serves as the continuation of the failed-live action series.
3. The remake – ‘Planet of the Apes’ (2001)
In 2029, Leo Davidson, aboard the space station Oberon, loses contact with the station while attempting to rescue his favorite ape co-worker, Pericles, from a deadly electromagnetic storm. Leo crashes on the planet Ashlar in 5021 A.D., discovering a world ruled by humanoid apes who speak English, use domesticated horses, and subjugate humans as slaves. The narrative unfolds as Leo navigates this unfamiliar society and grapples with the reversal of roles between humans and apes on Ashlar.
Where to watch the above-mentioned movies?
All ‘Planet of the Apes’ movies that belong to the original series can be streamed on Starz, including the 2001 remake. When it comes to TV shows, they are slightly more difficult to keep track of. ‘Planet of the Apes’ TV Show can be purchased on Amazon, while ‘Return to the Planet of the Apes’ isn’t on any major streaming services or digital marketplaces; you’re going to have to be creative to watch it.
‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’ (2011) can be streamed on Hulu. ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’ can be streamed on Max, and the latest ‘War for the Planet of the Apes’ can be streamed on Fubo, FXNow, and DirecTV.
Will there be more ‘Planet of the Apes’ movies?
Back in 2016, Matt Reeves said that he had ideas for a fourth film in the reboot series. Reeves hinted at a broader primate world beyond Caesar’s group, with apes who grew up without Caesar’s leadership, suggesting potential conflicts. Bomback suggested that there might be one more significant chapter left, focusing on how Caesar became a Moses-like figure, but also mentioned the possibility of other filmmakers taking on the sequel, possibly set hundreds of years after “War.” Despite their interest, both Reeves and Bomback emphasized the need for a pause before considering further developments.
In March 2022, 20th Century Studios president Steve Asbell anticipated the completion of a screenplay draft for the next installment in the ‘Planet of the Apes’ series, with production targeted to commence by the end of the year. By June, Oddball Entertainment and Shinbone Productions were announced as producers, and the search for the film’s lead actor was underway. The film, titled ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,’ was revealed to be set many years after the events of “War,” with a new writing team that included Amanda Silver, Rick Jaffa, and Patrick Aison, and a change in the production team. The release date is so far unknown.
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