Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes director Wes Ball recently engaged in a conversation with Entertainment Weekly, delving into his highly anticipated upcoming film. During the discussion, he unveiled intriguing details about the narrative, offering fresh insights into the characters, notably Proximus Caesar. Ball shed light on the complexity of Caesar’s character, emphasizing that he transcends the conventional villain archetype.

The prospect of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes has genuinely piqued my interest. It appears poised to deliver a thrilling adventure, catering to the expectations of dedicated franchise enthusiasts.

The storyline unfolds a staggering 300 years post the events depicted in Matt Reeves’ War for the Planet of the Apes. This temporal leap brings us significantly closer to the world initially introduced in the iconic 1968 classic, Planet of the Apes. Ball eloquently discussed the film’s setting, painting a vivid picture of the cinematic landscape and setting the stage for an epic continuation of the beloved saga.

Ball said:

“It’s many, many generations later. In the time between the previous movie and this movie, this Dark Ages has happened where things have been lost, and in our movie we’re going to rediscover them on this grand adventure.”

The main character in this story is a chimpanzee named Noa, played by Owen Teague. He’s the one that finds himself on this quest and Ball describes the character as neither an adult nor a kid. He explained:

“He’s on that threshold of becoming who he is going to be as an ape. It’s about him falling into these extraordinary circumstances that lead him into a world that he doesn’t know.”

The film’s villain is another chimpanzee named Proximus, who is played by Kevin Durand. Instead of focusing on the descendants of Caesar, the name “Caesar” has instead become like a ceremonial title handed down through the generations. When talking about Proximus Caesar, Ball explains that he’s not really a traditional villain, he’s more like a Thomas Edison or Elon Musk-type antagonist:

“The interesting thing about Proximus is that, with some help, he’s rediscovered electricity. To apes that forgot about all these things, that’s like a magic power. So they’re experimenting with it. I don’t even think you can call him a villain. I would call him an adversary. You understand him, you can relate to him in a way. It’s an interesting character who isn’t just a mustache-twirling cutout.”

As for where the franchise will go from here, the director is moving on to develop Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda movie, but he believes Kingdom sets the stage for a new trilogy.

“We certainly think there is a lot more story to be told, not just in the Planet of the Apes legacy of it all, but in terms of these characters we’ve created and the arcs that we’re thinking about. So, yeah, we’ve got good ideas for what would come next.”

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will be released in theaters on May 24, 2024.