Planet of the Apes Movies in Order: Complete Franchise Guide

Few film franchises have reinvented themselves as dramatically as Planet of the Apes. Charlton Heston’s Taylor stumbled through a desolate future in the 1968 original, discovering humanity’s fate through a half-buried Statue of Liberty. Decades later, Andy Serkis’s Caesar gave the series its heart, transforming what began as a campy cult classic into a emotionally devastating modern tragedy. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024) now arrives roughly 300 years after Caesar’s arc ended, raising a practical question for anyone looking to revisit or enter this universe: what order should you actually watch these movies?

Franchise Start: 1968 · Original Film Director: Franklin J. Schaffner · 2001 Remake Director: Tim Burton · Reboot Trilogy Start: Rise (2011) · Total Films: 10+

What is the correct order of the Planet of the Apes movies?

The Planet of the Apes franchise has fractured into four distinct continuities over the decades. The original pentalogy (1968–1973) shares only a title with the Tim Burton remake (2001), while the reboot trilogy plus Kingdom (2011–2024) tells a completely separate origin story. Most viewers will watch in release order because that’s how the films were experienced chronologically in real time.

Release order

The full release order across all continuities runs: Planet of the Apes (1968), Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970), Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971), Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972), Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973), Planet of the Apes (2001), Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014), War for the Planet of the Apes (2017), and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024) Radio Times. This gives you the full historical arc of how audiences encountered these films.

Chronological order

For the reboot series alone, chronological order matches release order: Rise (set around 2010), Dawn (set ~2014-2020), War (set around 2022), then Kingdom (set approximately 2100) Popverse. Kingdom director Wes Ball confirmed the film is set 300 years after Caesar’s era ScreenRant. The original series is messier chronologically because Escape (1971) features time travel that bounces the apes to contemporary 1973 Earth, then Conquest (1972) jumps the timeline forward.

Reboot trilogy sequence

The reboot trilogy works as a standalone story. Caesar’s arc spans three films: Rise introduces him as a mentally-enhanced chimpanzee whose intelligence triggers an outbreak, Dawn shows him leading an established ape colony facing human conflict, and War concludes his story as a war-weary leader fighting human soldiers. Kingdom (2024) does not require viewing the earlier films but gains depth if you do.

Why was Planet of the Apes (2001) so criticized?

Tim Burton’s Planet of the Apes (2001) remains the franchise’s most contentious entry. Rather than continuing any previous storyline, it stands as a standalone reboot that diverged sharply from audience expectations ScreenRant. The film features Mark Wahlberg as astronaut Leo Davidson, whose ship crash-lands on a planet ruled by apes, but the plot veers into increasingly strange territory.

Plot changes from original

Burton retained the ape-versus-human dynamic but inverted several key concepts. The film’s ending reveals a massive conspiracy rather than the classic Statue of Liberty revelation, leaving many viewers bewildered. Where the 1968 original ended with Taylor discovering Earth was the apes’ planet all along, Burton’s version added layers of mystery that critics felt muddled rather than deepened the premise Rotten Tomatoes.

Visual effects issues

The CGI technology of 2001 struggled with the film’s demands. Apes performed by actors like Tim Roth and Michael Clarke Duncan were rendered with early motion-capture techniques that aged poorly. By contrast, the 2011 reboot’s performance-capture work on Andy Serkis’s Caesar looked revolutionary even a decade later.

Reception scores

The 2001 film scored significantly lower on Rotten Tomatoes than both the 1968 original and the reboot trilogy. Critics noted Burton’s visual style, typically an asset, felt mismatched with the source material’s grit. Rotten Tomatoes’ editorial guide documents the franchise’s critical trajectory, with the reboot films showing dramatically improved reception: Rise earned 82%, Dawn climbed to 91%, and War reached 94% Rotten Tomatoes.

What is considered the best Planet of the Apes movie?

Critical consensus has shifted dramatically across the franchise’s history. The 1968 original retains historical importance for its era-defining twist ending, but the reboot trilogy has surpassed it in aggregate critical scores.

Tomatometer rankings

Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer rankings place War for the Planet of the Apes (2017) highest at 94%, followed by Dawn (91%), Rise (82%), the 1968 original at 87%, and the 2001 remake significantly lower Rotten Tomatoes. The trajectory matters: a trilogy where each installment scores higher than the last is statistically rare.

Fan favorites

Audience preferences often split between nostalgia for the 1968 original and appreciation for the reboot’s emotional depth. Caesar’s arc in the modern trilogy resonates particularly with viewers who value character development. The 1968 film holds particular reverence among classic sci-fi fans for its philosophical implications about humanity and civilization.

Critic consensus

Critics consistently praise the reboot trilogy’s maturation of the franchise. Where the original series ran out of creative steam by 1973, the modern trilogy sustained dramatic tension across three films. The franchise has four continuities: original pentalogy, 2001 remake, reboot trilogy plus Kingdom, and TV series ScreenRant.

Do you have to watch Planet of the Apes movies in order?

The answer depends entirely on which continuity you’re interested in. The reboot trilogy and Kingdom form a connected storyline where each film builds on the previous one, while the original pentalogy and 2001 remake can be approached more flexibly.

For reboot trilogy

The reboot films absolutely require sequential viewing. Rise of the Planet of the Apes establishes Caesar’s origin, Dawn continues his leadership challenges, and War concludes his legacy. Jumping into Dawn or War without Rise leaves you without essential context about Caesar’s character development and the apes’ society.

Original series standalone

The original five films are more self-contained than the reboot, but they do feature callbacks and continuity. Escape from the Planet of the Apes directly follows the previous film’s events. Battle for the Planet of the Apes includes flashbacks referencing earlier installments.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes prep

Kingdom (2024) is set roughly 300 years after War for the Planet of the Apes ScreenRant, making prior viewing optional for plot comprehension. However, Caesar’s legacy, the origins of ape civilization, and thematic callbacks gain depth if you’ve seen the trilogy first.

Who is in the Planet of the Apes cast?

The franchise spans generations of actors across its multiple continuities, with some roles becoming iconic while others faded into footnote status.

1968 original

Charlton Heston leads the 1968 film as astronaut Taylor, delivering the franchise’s most quotable lines and its landmark twist ending. Kim Hunter plays Zira, the sympathetic ape scientist who befriends Taylor. Roddy McDowall stars as Cornelius, Zira’s husband whose research reveals the apes’ true history Wikipedia.

2001 remake

Mark Wahlberg stars as Leo Davidson, an astronaut whose ship arrives on the ape planet. Tim Roth plays Captain Leo’s commanding officer, while Michael Clarke Duncan provides muscle as the gorilla soldier Attar. The film’s supporting cast includes Helena Bonham Carter and Kris Kristofferson in smaller roles.

Reboot leads like Caesar

Andy Serkis performs Caesar through motion capture across Rise, Dawn, and War, delivering the franchise’s most emotionally complex character work. Jason Clarke plays Dreyfus, the human leader in Dawn and War. Keri Russell voices Nova, Caesar’s mate in War. The reboot trilogy’s supporting cast includes Gary Oldman, Woody Harrelson, and Karin Konoval as Maurice the orangutan ScreenRant.

Planet of the Apes viewing orders at a glance

The franchise’s multiple continuities create different valid viewing paths. This comparison clarifies the major options for anyone planning a marathon or first-timer session.

The implication: Most viewers should start with the modern reboot trilogy (Rise → Dawn → War) and decide whether to explore further based on their reaction. The 1968 original rewards those who enjoy vintage science fiction, while Kingdom (2024) offers a fresh start that works without prior viewing.

The franchise’s timeline quirks

The Planet of the Apes franchise contains one of science fiction cinema’s most notorious continuity problems: the original pentalogy’s timeline contradicts itself across films. Planet of the Apes (1968) establishes Taylor’s crash landing in the year 3978 Planet of the Apes Wiki, but Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970) sets the crash at 3955. The time travel mechanics introduced in Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971) create additional complications.

The reboot timeline avoids these issues entirely. The modern series tells a linear story without time travel, with each film’s setting flowing naturally from the previous one Popverse. Kingdom (2024) extends this clean chronology roughly 300 years beyond War, creating what director Wes Ball described as a story about how Caesar’s legacy has evolved in ape society.

The finale, in which Taylor comes upon a ruined Statue of Liberty buried on the beach, became the defining scene that transformed a genre exercise into a cultural touchstone.

— Wikipedia (Encyclopedia)

The reboot run represents a rare trilogy where critical reception kept improving upon the last, with each installment deepening the franchise’s emotional stakes.

— Rotten Tomatoes Editorial (Editorial)

For newcomers today, the choice is essentially between experiencing the franchise’s history or starting with its current creative peak. The original 1968 film remains worth watching for its cultural impact alone, but viewers seeking narrative cohesion and emotional payoff will find more satisfaction in the modern reboot trilogy. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes continues that lineage, offering a fresh entry point that doesn’t demand homework while providing extra resonance for those who’ve followed Caesar’s journey. The franchise has four separate continuities precisely because each generation has found different things to love about apes ruling Earth.

Andy Serkis’s Caesar anchors the reboot trilogy’s emotional weight, and skipping those films means missing the character work that elevated Planet of the Apes into serious dramatic territory alongside mainstream sci-fi franchises.

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Navigating the franchise’s three continuities demands a clear chronological and release guide to distinguish release dates from the proper chronological sequence.

Frequently asked questions