Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes comes out in theaters this Friday, May 10, 2024. The film is the fourth installment in the Planet of the Apes reboot franchise, and the 10th film overall. This latest addition to the reboot franchise takes place 300 years after the events of War for the Planet of the Apes, which came out in 2017. After War, ape civilization has skyrocketed to the point that they are the planet's dominant species, whereas humans have reverted to a more feral and primitive state. However, tensions and contentions exist between the two species and among the ape clans.
Under the rule of the ape king, Proximus Caesar, apes are ordered to hunt humans to either kill or capture them. A young chimpanzee hunter, Noa, has issues with this and defies Proximus Caesar’s orders one day when he spares the life of a feral woman, whom he calls “Nova.” After learning that she is being hunted because she has more advanced intelligence than other humans, he starts a new era of rebellion, this time against the ape-led monarchy. Together, Noa and Nova will have to fight together to change the existing political landscape between humans and apes. Together… stronger. This guide will help you figure out who’s who in the next chapter of this epic ape saga!
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Many years after the reign of Caesar, a young ape goes on a journey that will lead him to question everything he's been taught about the past and make choices that will define a future for apes and humans alike.
- Release Date
- May 10, 2024
- Director
- Wes Ball
- Cast
- Freya Allan , Kevin Durand , Dichen Lachman , William H. Macy , Owen Teague , Peter Macon , Sara Wiseman
- Main Genre
- Sci-Fi
- Writers
- Patrick Aison , Josh Friedman , Rick Jaffa , Amanda Silver
Owen Teague
Noa
Owen Teague, who is best known for his roles as Patrick Hockstetter in IT and IT Chapter Two, has been acting since 2012, with his first role in the television series Malibu Country. After he first entered the Stephen King universe with a role as Jordan in the 2016 action-thriller Cell, he also portrayed Nolan Rayburn and a younger version of Danny Rayburn in the Netflix drama series Bloodlines. Teague will play Noa in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, the young chimpanzee tasked with being a human hunter for the survival of his clan. He begins to question his blind loyalty to the current leadership of the empire that Caesar built centuries ago. From the looks of the trailer and plot synopsis, his character is not too different from Christian Bale’s John Preston from the 2002 dystopian horror movie, Equilibrium. It is also heavily implied that he is a descendant of the original Caesar (Andy Serkis) from the first three films in the reboot.
Freya Allan
“Nova” / Mae
Freya Allan is a British actress who rose to fame with her portrayal of Ciri in the Netflix adaptation of The Witcher. In addition to becoming the lead character in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, she also appeared in Gunpowder Milkshake as a young version of Sam. Most recently, she starred in the horror film Baghead as Iris, a young woman who inherits a pub that houses a mysterious creature in the cellar that allows people to speak to deceased loved ones… for a price. Mae is given the name “Nova” by Noa and Raka, (which is a reference to the character of the same name from War for the Planet of the Apes) before she informs them that she can speak and what her true name is. With Noa’s help, the two of them embark on a journey to change the future of the dynamic relationship between apes and humans.
Kevin Durand
Proximus Caesar
The main antagonist in Kingdom, Proximus Caesar, is played by Kevin Durand. Durand has done plenty of voice acting in the past, including Pantheon, My Dad the Bounty Hunter, and Voltron: Legendary Defender. However, he is best known for his physical performances in roles such as Little John from Robin Hood, Vasiliy Fet from The Strain, Thomas from Ballers, and Frederick Gideon from Locke & Key. He was also in the recent horror comedy film, Abigail, which featured Dracula's 12-year-old daughter being held for ransom by unwitting hostage-takers.
Proximus Caesar is a Bonobo and the current ruler of the Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, but shows similarities to the previous antagonist from Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Koba. Under his rule, he orders the hunting and killing of humans and also leads the largest clan of apes along a coastal region. He instructs his followers to salvage metal and ancient human technology to further advance his supremacy and dominion over the Kingdom. With unchecked power, he slowly corrupts the idealistic vision that Caesar had for apes in this new world.