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Disney's Planet Of The Apes Movie Could Begin Production Soon
The Planet of the Apes franchise is expected to deliver a new film in the near future, as director Wes Ball provides an update on production. Starting in 1968, Planet of the Apes has a longstanding history in film, especially with its most widely known and lucrative 2011 reboot series from Rupert Wyatt and Matt Reeves. Ball, who first gained traction in film school with his animated short film Ruin (2011), had his initial break in the industry with his directorial debut The Maze Runner (2014), an adaptation of a teen novel by the same name. The Maze Runner series was largely successful and generated a dedicated following, establishing Ball's place in the filmmaking business.
Ball was initially involved with Fox's adaptation of Mouse Guard. However, the adaptation went under when Fox-Disney merged, leading Ball to take on the Planet of the Apes sequel project under the new moniker 20th Century Studios. At the beginning of 2020, Ball verified that instead of a reboot, the sequel will be an extension of the 2011 trilogy. This means the iconic, beloved character Caesar, a hyper-intelligent chimpanzee who is a product of an anti-Alzheimer's lab experiment gone wrong, could possibly exist in Ball's take. There have been no other major announcements on the upcoming Planet of the Apes movie until now.
In the exclusive interview with Ball virtually hosted by Discussing Film, the director revealed he's already been working in the development phase and is regularly meeting with his writer, Josh Friedman, via Zoom to chat about the script which is "continuing to move forward." During quarantine, Ball has been feeling especially inspired and full of ideas for the movie and credits seclusion for his newfound creative juice. Moreover, Ball announced they have an impressive team working on concept art for the film and that it is officially moving forward. In fact, Bell even hinted they "could actually be in virtual production relatively soon because it’s largely a CG movie."
Ball wants his fans to be reassured that the story, and the film, is in good hands. In essence, Ball is committed to honoring the former amazingly well-done films, as well as their memorable characters, while ultimately branching out in a fresh way. Before Mouse Guard fell apart, Matt Reeves was the producer with Andy Serkis cast and Ball shares, "We were using the same material, the same kind of technology, we were using a lot of the same people involved," therefore making the transition from Mouse Guard to The Planet of the Apes sequel a "natural fit." Plus, the writers, producers, and crew members, such as Amanda Silver and Rick Jaffa, from Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and Rise of the Planet of the Apes are all on board. The director is excited to take on the challenge of using his own, innovative take while remaining a sincere part of the trilogy. All in all, Ball states triumphantly: "Planet of the Apes is moving forward baby!"
The Planet of the Apes sequel is an exciting prospect to look forward to, especially with so many familiar names behind the project. Wes Ball is a fantastic director who has proven he is up for the task with The Maze Runner films. Arguably, the most important part of a film, especially a series, is the story. It is promising that Ball seems to have been working on the script intensely with Friedman and that it continues to be improved upon. While Ball has a huge task at hand, and much prestige to live up to, it will be incredibly exciting to see what he has brewing.
