Fans of Planet of the Apes rejoice, as a new entry in the classic series is planned to begin production this year. The news was confirmed by the president of 20th Century Studios himself.

The original Planet of the Apes is still one of the finest science fiction films ever made. With its clever social commentary, Charlton Heston’s brilliant performance, and an unforgettable twist ending, it will always be a classic. It spawned four sequels, creating a run that’s admittedly uneven, but wonderful at its best.

Now, a new Planet of the Apes film will be directed by The Maze Runner’s Wes Ball, with a script by him and Josh Friedman, writer of Steven Spielberg’s War of the Worlds remake. Ball has stated the film will not be a reboot, and that “Caesar’s legacy will continue,” referring to the recent trilogy of prequels. Presumably, the new film will pick up where the Planet of the Apes reboot series left off and provide a bridge to the original saga. “We are expecting a draft very shortly… We hope to go by the late summer, early fall,” said 20th Century Studios President Steven Asbell to The Hollywood Reporter.

There’s been four Planet of the Apes entries since 1973. The first was Tim Burton’s remake, which was probably the biggest misstep in his career. But from 2011 to 2017, the reboot trilogy completely revived the franchise. Focusing almost entirely on the apes, it’s some of the most compelling dystopian sci-fi in years. The motion capture on these movies alone was downright revolutionary. The latter two films were directed by The Batman director Matt Reeves, and he did a great job, as this is the rare trilogy that sticks the landing.

With so many great entries in this series, and only one or two bad ones across 54 years, it must seem overwhelming to take on the franchise. There must be a reason why the new Planet of the Apes film took so long in development. But if Disney is taking their time on it, that just means they want it to be as successful as their other films. It’s also a relief to see them care about the series at all, as that was not a guarantee after the 20th Century Fox acquisition.

Much is still unknown about this new entry. Will Wes Ball and company live up to the series’ legacy? What new or old additions will they bring to the table? Fans will be sure to keep a close eye on this one.

The next Planet of the Apes film is planned to hit theaters in 2023 or 2024.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter