Currently, two films are leading the charts on HBO Max, giving a clear indication of what viewers hope to see from the long-running Planet of the Apes series. The franchise began in 1968 with the original film, directed by Franklin D. Schaffner, which told the story of astronauts who crash-land on a distant planet ruled by intelligent apes.
Following Rupert Wyatt’s direction of Rise of the Planet of the Apes – which showed how a deadly virus began to decimate the human population and allow apes to rise in intelligence – Matt Reeves (known for Cloverfield and The Batman) directed both Dawn of the Planet of the Apes in 2014 and War for the Planet of the Apes in 2017. Because of Reeves’ involvement, Dawn and War became the most well-received films in the Planet of the Apes series, and they remain the most popular installments to this day.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes & Its Sequel Are HBO Max’s Two Most-Watched Movies
Both Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and War for the Planet of the Apes were successful from the start, and continue to be popular. Dawn takes place ten years after the first film, Rise, and focuses on Caesar (played by Andy Serkis) trying to keep peace among the apes while dealing with conflict with humans. War, set two years later, shows Caesar and his family facing a dangerous new enemy, the Colonel (Woody Harrelson), as they search for a safe place to live.
These two films took the Planet of the Apes story in a thrilling new direction by realistically portraying the complex and often difficult relationship between humans and apes as they both adapted and struggled for survival. This realistic approach, a hallmark of director Matt Reeves, gave Dawn and War a sense of authenticity that many earlier films in the series lacked. Their strong performance on HBO Max indicates that audiences are eager to see more of this type of storytelling within the long-running sci-fi franchise.
These Epic Sequels Show What Audiences Want in The Planet of the Apes Franchise’s Future
After completing the initial trilogy with Dawn and War, the Planet of the Apes series continued with Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. The success of Wes Ball’s 2024 film led Disney and 20th Century president Steve Asbell to announce that another sequel is already being developed, with a planned release date of May 14, 2027. Recent successes on HBO suggest what fans are looking for in future installments.
The latest Planet of the Apes film, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, showed that humans still exist, living in small groups, and introduced a character named Mae. However, the movie mainly centered on the lives of the ape communities. The success of Dawn and War indicates viewers enjoy the realistic stories about both humans and apes that director Matt Reeves created. Following this film, future installments could very well delve further into the connection between these two species.
The Planet of the Apes series has been around for 58 years and is continuing with new movies already planned. The success of recent films like Dawn of the Planet of the Apes suggests a return to the conflict between humans and apes could be a good direction for the franchise. Regardless of the storyline, fans are eager to see what comes next.
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2026-03-14 06:15