The Planet of the Apes franchise is back in the Oscars conversation thanks to Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, and the 2024 release could finally be how the series makes history. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes continued the modern reinvention of the classic sci-fi series by extending the continuity from the trilogy starring Andy Serkis’ Caesar. The movie was a mᴀssive success, earning $397 million at the box office and an 80% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. The appreciation for the VFX-heavy film included Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes earning an Oscar nomination.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is one of five movies nominated for Best Visual Effects, joining Dune: Part Two, Wicked, Alien: Romulus, and Better Man. It’s inclusion makes sense, considering the work done to bring the CGI characters to life, but it is not the only Oscar-nominated movie with CGI monkeys. There is certainly support for the film to recognize the work done by official nominees Erik Winquist, Stephen Unterfranz, Paul Story, and Rodney Burke, as well as the countless other VFX artists involved. But, this would require Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes making Oscars history.

The Planet Of The Apes Movies Have Never Won An Oscar

But It’s Been Nominated Many Times

Even though the Planet of the Apes franchise has a storied history in Hollywood, the movies have never been properly recognized by the Academy Awards. No Planet of the Apes movie has ever won an official Oscar during the 66 years it could have. The original 1968 film did receive an Academy Honorary Award, as John Chambers was recognized “for his outstanding makeup achievement.” That honorary Oscar is the only time the franchise has found Oscar success. But, it does not officially count as an Oscar win since it is not in one of the regular categories.

Planet of the Apes‘ Oscar failure is not for a lack of trying either. The 1968 film had two proper Oscar nominations in Costume Design and Original Score, but it lost both. None of the original sequels got an Oscar nomination, and neither did Tim Burton’s Planet of the Apes. The Academy waited until Rise of the Planet of the Apes to recognize the franchise again, giving it a Best Visual Effects Oscar nomination. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and War for the Planet of the Apes were nominated in the same category.

It’s understandable in many of these cases that the Planet of the Apes movie did not win the Oscar based on the quality of work done elsewhere. Still, it is unbelievable that a franchise that has been so instrumental to VFX development over the years was never properly rewarded. And that doesn’t even account for the constant oversight of Andy Serkis’ performance as Caesar.

Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes Builds On The Franchise’s Incredible VFX Work

The Franchise Remains A Pillar For Great VFX Work

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is another example of how great the franchise’s VFX work is overall. The movie masterfully builds on the work done by Matt Reeves and Andy Serkis to push motion capture and performance capture technology to new heights. Everything done in the previous trilogy is back and taken to new lengths. All the subtle facial expressions of the actors can be seen in the final CGI renderings of the apes, and the realism brought to their appearance and the world overall never ceases to impress.

In many ways, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes‘ VFX is taken for granted. The movie is built around characters who are primarily CGI creatures. If audiences did not buy how they looked, the entire film would fall apart. Watching the “Raw Cut” of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, which shows the no CGI version of the film and what was sH๏τ practically, brings an even greater appreciation to the final product. Seeing how much is created using CGI, including some details you wouldn’t expect, shows how incredible the VFX work is in the movie.

The film’s CGI has stunned the VFX field too. One VFX expert praised Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes by saying one moment was “the best visual effects sH๏τ I’ve ever seen in my entire life.” These same experts even said the movie is the best of the 2025 Oscar Best Visual Effects nominees, “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes sets the bar so goddamn high that none of the other movies can really fairly compare.” If that doesn’t prove Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is worthy of being an Oscar winner, nothing will.

Will Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes Win The Best VFX Oscar?

It Has Stiff Compeтιтion To Make History

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes can make history as the first Planet of the Apes movie to win an Oscar, but whether that happens is uncertain. However, it is not the consensus pick to win. Most prognosticators point to Dune: Part Two winning Best Visual Effects. The first movie in Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi franchise won the category a few years ago. That gives it a leg up on Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, especially since Dune: Part Two also has a Best Picture nomination and is positioned to do well in several technical categories.

The roadmap to Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes winning the Best Visual Effects Oscar would require voters to have some level of Dune fatigue. That would still leave the tenth Planet of the Apes movie in a spot where it would need to beat out Alien: Romulus, Wicked, and Better Man. Of those three remaining films, Wicked is the only one to have more nominations beyond the VFX category. The larger issue is that Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes hasn’t won much of any awards, so its Oscars chances are unfortunately slim.