The Maze Runner Director’s $397M Sci-Fi Hit Is Heading to a New Streaming Home Ahead of New Sequel

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The sci-fi sequel, directed by Wes Ball, is coming to Hulu this February.

Starting February 2nd, Hulu will begin streaming Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. This 2024 sci-fi film is a new story within the Planet of the Apes series from 20th Century Studios. The film takes place many years after the events of 2017’s War for the Planet of the Apes.

The original Planet of the Apes reboot trilogy focused on Caesar, a chimpanzee brought to life by actor Andy Serkis’s incredible performance-capture work. Kingdom is the first film in a new series, with Owen Teague taking on the lead role.

In the film Kingdom, Noa faces a dangerous adventure that forces him to rethink everything he believes about the past and make decisions that will impact the future of both apes and humans. Freya Allan plays Mae, a human trying to reconnect with other surviving human communities.

While Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes earned $397 million globally with a budget of over $160 million, it’s the lowest-performing film in the recent Planet of the Apes reboot series at the box office.

Okay, let’s talk about the latest Planet of the Apes installment. While it’s still a pretty solid movie – earning an 80% ‘Fresh’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes – it’s definitely a step down from what we’ve seen in this reboot series. Compared to the previous films, it just doesn’t quite reach the same heights. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes scored a fantastic 91%, and War for the Planet of the Apes even better at 94%. The original reboot, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, actually edged it out with an 82%, making this the lowest-rated film in the series so far.

A Fifth Planet of the Apes Movie Is in the Works

Wes Ball, the director of the Kingdom film and previously known for directing the Maze Runner trilogy, planned Kingdom as the first movie in a planned new series of three films.

In 2024, Ball revealed they originally envisioned this as a three-part story. They had ambitious plans for the future of the series and how it would build on the existing films, and are currently discussing a potential continuation with the studio.

Steve Asbell, president of 20th Century Studios, announced in October 2024 that a fifth Planet of the Apes movie was in development, with plans to release it in theaters in 2027. However, there haven’t been any significant updates about the film since then.

It’s been nearly a year since we last heard from the developer, who briefly mentioned they were considering a sequel. In February 2025, they stated, “We’re discussing it, but that’s all I can share right now.”

I got a little peek behind the curtain with the director, and it sounds like they have some big plans for the sequel. They’re saying a lot of what happens in this first film is actually laying groundwork for even bigger things to come. Apparently, the second movie in a trilogy is often where everything really hits the fan – more drama, higher stakes, and some seriously impactful stuff happening. It sounds like they’re leaning into that trend, promising a darker and more consequential follow-up.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes .

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2026-01-29 06:38