‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ Director Wes Ball on Trilogy Plans and Making ‘Legend of Zelda’: It’s ‘Dying for a Cinematic Treatment’
10.05.2024 - 17:57
/ variety.com
Todd Gilchrist editor After 10 installments and 56 years, “Planet of the Apes” is one of the longest-running science-fiction series in film history. Even Pierre Boulle, who wrote the novel upon which the 1968 film was based, never imagined a future this long, complicated, or full of talking simians.
Yet “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” released May 10, not only pushes the franchise’s story another 300 years into the future, but sets up what its filmmakers hope is (at least) two more chapters. Following a young chimpanzee named Noa (Owen Teague), director Wes Ball’s sprawling, luxuriant epic examines a time when the balance of power leans confidently on the side of the apes, even as the arrival of a human woman named Mae (Freya Allan) introduces a new complication into the species’ tenuous coexistence.
Both Ball and his producers, Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, have lots of experience with multi-year, multi-film sagas. Ball made his explosive directorial debut with the 2014 adaptation of James Dashner’s “The Maze Runner,” and helmed both of its two sequels.
Jaffa and Silver helped relaunch the “Apes” series by writing “Rise of the Planet of the Apes.” They’ve remained with the franchise through the years as writers and producers. Ahead of the release of “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” Ball, Jaffa and Silver spoke to Variety about franchise filmmaking, explored the complex, sometimes contradictory mythology of the “Apes” films and what’s to come.
Ball also discussed his “Legend of Zelda” video game adaptation and how he’ll juggle that movie plus the two “Apes” sequels that distributor 20th Century Studios has already outlined. Wes, you developed a good relationship with Fox because of the “Maze Runner” movies, but
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