Sequels, spin-offs and slots: Legacy of the Planet of the Apes

THERE are few film franchises that come close to being as iconic as Planet of the Apes.

After Rupert Wyatt rebooted the franchise in the summer of 2011 with a remake of the original of the same name, Cloverfield director Matt Reeves staged the 2014 sequel Planet of the Apes Revolution (OT: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes).

Also in the third instalment of the series, Planet of the Apes: Survival (OT: War for the Planet of the Apes), once again directed by Matt Reeves and released in July 2017, continues Caesar’s story and is as yet that last instalment in the reboot.

The original movie was released in 1968 and was based upon the 1963 novel La Planete des Singes, a French-language novel written by Pierre Boulle.

The movie starred Charlton Heston as an Astronaut that travels to a planet ruled by apes where humans are primitive and subjugated by the apes. It was popular enough to spawn four more sequels; Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970), Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971), Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972) and Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973).

The movies were then followed by a TV series that ran from 1973-74 and then an animated series in 1975. 2001 saw a remake of the original movie directed by Tim Burton that met with mixed reviews and as such the planned sequel never materialised. However, the reboot has been much more successful.

Following on from the success of the rebooted trilogy, many fans have been wondering what is next for the ‘Apes.

Will there be another TV series similar to other movies that have had this treatment such as Shooter and Taken, or in keeping with today’s trend of spin-off video games being released will there be a Planet of the Apes game?

Fans of iGaming and online slots can already enjoy a number of high-rated PC and console games and a Planet of the Apes Slot game based upon both Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.

There is more good news for gamers as there is a soon-to-be-released game titled Planet of the Apes: Last Frontier, which is set between Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and War for the Planet of the Apes and has been described as a “narrative-driven adventure game of conquest, betrayal, and survival” with players being able to play from both sides, humans and apes.

With merchandising going strong for the current trilogy can we expect more in the form of books and comics set in the Planet of the Apes Universe or even an interactive experience, given the rise of Virtual Reality?

With the ‘Apes trilogy complete is this the end? Andy Serkis, the actor who portrays Caesar, has hinted that there may be more films featuring the ‘Apes although Caesar’s tale is complete. So, fans of the rebooted Franchise may not have to wait too long before another Planet of the Apes movie hits our screens. As for whether it will be a prequel or a sequel or even set between the events of the current trilogy, who knows?