How to Watch the Planet of the Apes Movies in Chronological Order

1968's classical and influential sci-fi film, Planet of the Apes (based connected French writer Pierre Boulle's 1963 novel), spawned a franchise that dominated the archetypal fractional of the '70s with 4 much movie sequels, tie-in books, a live-action TV series, and and adjacent an animated. This planetary struggle pitting humans against intelligent humanoid apes thrilled the imaginativeness portion besides touching connected societal issues similar racism, carnal cruelty, and the Cold War. It makes for immoderate of the champion sci-fi movies of each time.

It would instrumentality 3 decades earlier a reboot landed successful our laps, but Tim Burton's 2001 reworking of the archetypal movie wasn't capable to revitalize the dormant franchise. It wouldn't beryllium until 2011's reboot prequel, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, that 20th Century Fox would find occurrence erstwhile again, this clip with a afloat caller trilogy.

Now is it imaginable to instrumentality a afloat chronological journey? Not exactly, but we tin bash our best. This unsettling saga, 1 wherever humans find themselves supplanted by a fast-evolving caller taxon and struggling with subservience and subjugation, is worthy the watch, truthful let's look astatine however to drawback the Planet of the Apes films successful order. And erstwhile you're done here, beryllium definite to besides cheque retired our elaborate mentation of the Planet of the Apes timeline!

Jump to:

• How to ticker successful chronological order
• How to the archetypal movies successful order
• How to ticker by merchandise order

How Many Planet of the Apes Movies Are There?

There are a total of 10 movies acceptable wrong the Planet of the Apes universe, starting with the 1968 archetypal and its 4 sequels. The 2001 reboot makes six and past the 4 prequels, which showcase however the satellite fell to the apes, circular retired the ten.

The Planet of the Apes Movies successful Chronological Order

Here's the caveat: The 3 prequels from the past decennary oregon truthful are not connected to the archetypal bid of films. They correspond a afloat rebooted timeline, presumedly with a antithetic aboriginal than the 1 Charlton Heston's astronaut discovers successful the 1968 film. But there's nary harm successful inactive watching them first...

1. Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)

Motion seizure exertion and integer characters were connected the utmost emergence successful the Aughts, allowing the Apes saga to determination beyond applicable constitution and into a caller peculiar effects arena that would let for much emotion successful show from the pb Apes. Gollum himself, Andy Serkis, lent his extraodinary abilities to Caesar, a chimpanzee whose quality is accrued done science, and becomes the bosom of a prequel communicative each astir the beginnings of the extremity for humankind. Set successful the "present day," Rise of the Planet of the Apes besides stars James Franco, John Lithgow, Brian Cox, and Freida Pinto, planting the seeds for what volition go a world-wide war.

Read our review of Rise of the Planet of the Apes here.

2. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)

The prequels bring successful The Batman's Matt Reeves arsenic manager for the adjacent 2 movies, starting with the superb Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, which brings backmost Andy Serkis' Caesar, years aft the Simian Flu has decimated Earth' quality colonisation portion the quality Apes person established a colony adjacent San Francisco. Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, and Toby Kebbell co-star successful this communicative of the archetypal truce talks and attempts astatine bid that spell truthful so severely due to the fact that of treachery connected some sides.

Read our reappraisal of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes here.

3. War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)

Past the constituent of nary return, the struggle betwixt apes and humans has escalated into afloat warfare successful Matt Reeves' War for the Planet of the Apes arsenic Andy Serkis' Caesar sets retired to avenge those helium has lost. Woody Harrelson and Steve Zahn articulation the franchise for this acclaimed ending to the Apes' Caesar Trilogy, primitively intended to driblet america disconnected connected the doorstep of Planet of the Apes (in its ain mode since it's these are reboot prequels) but that it made a bully magnitude of wealth and, thus, per rules of Hollywood, needed a sequel.

Read our review of War for the Planet of the Apes here.

4. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)

Although Kingdom follows the events of the erstwhile film, it really takes spot a afloat 300 years aft War for the Planet of the Apes. At this constituent successful the story, the apes person afloat taken implicit and quality civilization and their exertion are present a distant past.

Read our review of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.

5. Planet of the Apes (1968)

Planet of the Apes, starring Charlton Heston arsenic an adrift astronaut, George Taylor, who emerges from heavy cryo-sleep to find marooned connected satellite populated by ape-like beings with quality intelligence, is iconic sci-fi -- each portion containing 1 of the champion twist endings successful cinema history. A twist brought to america courtesy of the king of "gotcha!" endings, Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling, who adapted the archetypal publication and added his ain peculiar marque of daze and awe.

6. Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970)

Charlton Heston lone returned concisely for this 1970 follow-up, Beneath the Planet of the Apes, which switched up the leads and focused connected a antithetic astronaut, Brent (James Franciscus), who arrives connected a ngo to find the missing Taylor. Discovering a hidden colonisation of telepathic humans who worship an past atomic weapon, Brent indispensable past this caller harsh realm portion besides preventing everything from being destroyed by the doomsday bomb. A decent, albeit insane, sequel.

7. Escape From the Planet of the Apes (1971)

In a biting spot of time-travel upheaval, a trio of Apes flight the events of the erstwhile movie -- Cornelius (Roddy McDowall), Zira (Kim Hunter), and Dr. Milo (Sal Mineo) -- and get successful 1973 Earth wherever they look the worst of humanity's persecution. Escape From the Planet of the Apes is much touching and character-driven than the films earlier it, blending airy with dark...until it goes super dark.

8. Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)

Roddy McDowall returns to the franchise for Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, though present playing Caesar (yes, kinda/sorta Caesar the reboot prequels focused on), the intelligent ape lad of Cornelius and Zira, retired to pb a rebellion against humanity successful the aftermath of a pandemic that's turned nine into fascist slave-owners. You tin statement arsenic to whether we’re successful an alternate timeline present oregon the aforesaid 1 George Taylor recovered himself successful erstwhile helium crashed landed successful the future, successful Planet of the Apes. Regardless, Conquest is inactive filled with wide decease arsenic a afloat Ape revolt occurs and humanity finds itself connected the brink of downfall.

9. Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973)

In the last sequel to the archetypal film, McDowall's Caesar erstwhile again tries to support the bid amongst the humans and apes, aft humans person been defeated, but uprisings outpouring up and the connection is hammered location that powerfulness yet corrupts each those successful charge, whether they're quality oregon not. Billed arsenic The Final Chapter, Battle for the Planet of the Apes wasn't received good by critics oregon audiences, though it capped disconnected the sci-fi communicative that began 5 years previous.

N/A. Planet of the Apes (2001)

Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes reboot tin honestly beryllium watched whenever, since it doesn't officially beryllium connected immoderate timeline, but we counsel astatine slightest checking retired the 1968 archetypal earlier indulging successful the remake. Mark Wahlberg stars arsenic the wayward astronaut here, with Tim Roth, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Clarke Duncan, and Paul Giamatti successful Ape roles. The communicative is akin to the O.G. movie but the characters are new, and there's adjacent a caller stab astatine the classical twist ending.

How to Watch the Original Planet of the Apes Movies successful Order

1. Planet of the Apes (1968)
2. Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970)
3. Escape From the Planet of the Apes (1971)
4. Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)
5. Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973)

How to Watch the Planet of the Apes Movies by Release Date

If you're looking to ticker each the movies successful theatrical merchandise order, the close database is below:

1. Planet of the Apes (1968)
2. Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970)
3. Escape From the Planet of the Apes (1971)
4. Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)
5. Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973)
6. Planet of the Apes Reboot (2001)
7. Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
8. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
9. War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)
10. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)

Upcoming Planet of the Apes Movies

The adjacent Planet of the Apes movie is targeting a 2027 release, according to 20th Century Studios president Steve Asbell (via THR). Amanda Silver and Rick Jaffa, the duo down the rebooted movie franchise, said they planned 2024's Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes to beryllium the commencement of a caller trilogy. They besides said their reboot was conceived with 9 films successful mind, meaning determination whitethorn beryllium arsenic galore arsenic 5 caller Apes movies to come.

Despite his engaged docket (including the live-action Zelda movie), manager Wes Ball precocious confirmed accumulation connected the Apes sequel was underway successful a speech with Collider. The manager went connected to accidental "Movie 2 is astir ever the champion 1 of the trilogy. That's the mode it works. That's wherever each the play is, wherever each the struggle is."