Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is the most recent film in the long-running Planet of the Apes franchise, and is set hundreds of years after the last film in the series. The first Planet of the Apes movie was released in 1968 and was an instant hit. The ending of 1968’s Planet of the Apes shocked audiences and led to several sequels. After four sequels, the franchise was rebooted by Tim Burton in 2001. However, reviews for Tim Burton’s Planet of the Apes movie were horrible, and the franchise was essentially ᴅᴇᴀᴅ for many years.

A decade after Burton’s disastrous reboot, the franchise was revived with 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes. This film began a trilogy of modern Planet of the Apes movies that showed the origin of the virus which wiped out most of humanity. After War for the Planet of the Apes concluded Caesar’s story, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is set hundreds of years in the future and follows a new protagonist, Noa. Additionally, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes sets up many future movies in the franchise.

Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes Is Set “Many Generations” After Caesar’s Death

Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes Jumps Forward Hundreds Of Years

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes doesn’t reveal exactly how many years have pᴀssed since the end of War for the Planet of the Apes. However, it is stated that Kingdom takes place “many generations” after Caesar’s death and several synopses for the movie claim that it is set 300 years after War for the Planet of the Apes. Rise of the Planet of the Apes was set in 2016, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes was set in 2026, and War for the Planet of the Apes was set in 2028.

Therefore, this timeline suggests that Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes takes place sometime around 2328, or at least within the 24th century. Since Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is set hundreds of years after the previous film, it shows a very different Earth. Even though some apes still preach Caesar’s teachings, the world has progressed and apes have formed their own societies.

The Original Planet Of The Apes Movie Was (Secretly) Set in 3978

Humanity Is Essentially Wiped Out In The Planet Of The Apes Franchise

In the first Planet of the Apes movie, astronaut George Taylor believes he crash-lands on an unknown planet 2006 years after his departure from Earth in 1972. Therefore, the first Planet of the Apes movie is set in the year 3978. From Taylor’s perspective, the movie plays out like a traditional science fiction story about a man on an unknown planet comprised of apes. However, at the end of 1968’s Planet of the Apes, Taylor is shocked to learn that the planet he is on is actually Earth in the far future.

The ending of 1968’s Planet of the Apes was completely unexpected and changed how audiences viewed the entire movie. Planet of the Apes’ ending turned the film into a tragedy, rather than a sci-fi adventure. Rise of the Planet of the Apes and its sequels showed how humanity almost fully died off, leading to apes taking over the world. However, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes shows a version of Earth that is much more similar to the one seen in the first movie.

We’re Still Far Away From The Original Planet Of The Apes’ Timeline

It is Unknown If Future Planet Of The Apes Movies Will Catch Up To The Original Timline

Even though apes now seemingly inhabit most of the planet, the events of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes still take place long before the timeline of the original movies. In fact, Kingdom takes place well over 1000 years before the original Planet of the Apes. Therefore, there is a long way to go if upcoming Planet of the Apes movies are going to catch up to the timeline of the original films.

Following the release of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, it was revealed that a nine-movie Planet of the Apes series has been planned out. Rise of the Planet of the Apes started this nine-movie saga, making Kingdom the fourth film. Therefore, if the plan is to catch up to the timeline of the original films, future Planet of the Apes movies would have to include more time jumps, and adopt a style similar to Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.