Planet of the Apes is easiest to watch in release order, but the series has three independent lines: five films of the original series (1968–1973), Tim Burton’s 2001 remake and four reboot films (2011–2024). Ten films in total. If you follow the plot, the original series starts not with the first film but with Escape from the Planet of the Apes, while the reboot follows the order it was released in: Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, War for the Planet of the Apes, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.
Below you will find US release dates, directors and runtimes, how the lines are connected, the plot timeline, spoiler-free summaries and an answer to what is known about a sequel. The details were checked against the official pages of 20th Century Studios and against Wikipedia (Russian and English) as of October 17, 2026. Titles are given in English, and each section also gives the original title.
All Planet of the Apes films in release order
| Film | Line | US release | Director | Runtime, min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Planet of the Apes | Original | February 8, 1968 | Franklin Schaffner | 110 |
| Beneath the Planet of the Apes | Original | May 26, 1970 | Ted Post | 94 |
| Escape from the Planet of the Apes | Original | May 21, 1971 | Don Taylor | 97 |
| Conquest of the Planet of the Apes | Original | June 30, 1972 | J. Lee Thompson | 86 |
| Battle for the Planet of the Apes | Original | June 15, 1973 | J. Lee Thompson | 86 |
| Planet of the Apes | Remake | July 27, 2001 | Tim Burton | 120 |
| Rise of the Planet of the Apes | Reboot | August 5, 2011 | Rupert Wyatt | 104 |
| Dawn of the Planet of the Apes | Reboot | July 11, 2014 | Matt Reeves | 130 |
| War for the Planet of the Apes | Reboot | July 14, 2017 | Matt Reeves | 139 |
| Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes | Reboot | May 10, 2024 | Wes Ball | 145 |
The franchise began with Pierre Boulle’s 1963 novel Planet of the Apes. The first five films were released by 20th Century Fox, and in 2019 the franchise moved to Disney. Planet of the Apes is considered the longest American film series in the science fiction genre (according to English Wikipedia).
Three lines: how they connect
- Original series (1968–1973). Five films, each continuing the previous one. From the third film the story moves into time travel, so the chronology differs from the release order.
- Remake (2001). Tim Burton conceived it as a new interpretation of the story (a re-imagining), and the film has no sequels. It is not connected to the other lines.
- Reboot (2011–2024). Rise of the Planet of the Apes starts the story over. In August 2019, Disney said the new films would take place in the universe of Rise of the Planet of the Apes (according to English Wikipedia).
Plot timeline: what comes after what
In the reboot, the story order matches the release order. In the original series it is different: the events of Escape from the Planet of the Apes, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes and Battle for the Planet of the Apes take place in the 20th and 21st centuries, while Planet of the Apes and Beneath the Planet of the Apes take place in the distant future, around the year 3978.
Escape from the Planet of the Apes
1973: Zira and Cornelius in present-day USA
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes
1991: apes in slavery, Caesar
Battle for the Planet of the Apes
Early 21st century: Caesar builds a society
Planet of the Apes
3978: astronauts on the planet of the apes
Beneath the Planet of the Apes
Continues the events of the first film
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Caesar grows up among humans and leads an uprising
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Ten years later: a virus has killed most humans
War for the Planet of the Apes
Two years after Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Many generations after Caesar
Newcomers are better off not watching the original series in chronological order: Escape from the Planet of the Apes builds on the ending of Beneath the Planet of the Apes, so a first viewing in release order makes more sense. Chronological order suits a rewatch.
What each film is about, spoiler-free
Planet of the Apes (1968)
Original title: Planet of the Apes. Astronaut George Taylor (Charlton Heston) lands on a planet where intelligent apes rule over mute, primitive humans. Director: Franklin Schaffner; Roddy McDowall and Kim Hunter are also in the cast. John Chambers received an honorary Oscar for makeup, the first Oscar ever given to a makeup artist.
Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970)
Original title: Beneath the Planet of the Apes. Astronaut Brent (James Franciscus) sets out to find Taylor and follows him into the future. Director: Ted Post. According to English Wikipedia, critics usually rate it weaker than the other sequels, except the last one, but it was a success at the box office.
Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971)
Original title: Escape from the Planet of the Apes. Zira and Cornelius (Kim Hunter and Roddy McDowall) end up in the USA of 1973. At first society accepts them, but fear of their child leads to conflict. Director: Don Taylor. Critics received the film well.
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)
Original title: Conquest of the Planet of the Apes. The action takes place in 1991: humans have turned the apes into slaves, and Caesar (Roddy McDowall), Cornelius’s son, rises from captivity to lead a revolt. Director: J. Lee Thompson.
Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973)
Original title: Battle for the Planet of the Apes. Caesar tries to build a society where apes and humans live together, but he is opposed by General Aldo (Claude Akins) and mutants harmed by radiation. Director: J. Lee Thompson. According to English Wikipedia, critics consider this the weakest film in the series.
Planet of the Apes (2001)
Original title: Planet of the Apes. Director: Tim Burton. Astronaut Leo Davidson (Mark Wahlberg) passes through a wormhole to a planet where talking apes enslave humans. The cast also includes Tim Roth and Helena Bonham Carter. The film grossed about $362 million, but critics were divided on it.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
Original title: Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Chimpanzee Caesar (Andy Serkis) gains higher intelligence from an experimental drug and grows up in the family of Will Rodman (James Franco). Director: Rupert Wyatt. The apes were created with motion capture by Weta Digital; the film received an Oscar nomination for visual effects.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
Original title: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. The action takes place ten years after Rise of the Planet of the Apes: a virus has killed most humans, and Caesar tries to keep the peace between the apes and the surviving humans nearby. Director: Matt Reeves, with Jason Clarke, Keri Russell and Gary Oldman in the cast. The film grossed about $711 million.
War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)
Original title: War for the Planet of the Apes. The action takes place two years after Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Caesar and his followers track down the Colonel (Woody Harrelson), commander of a human military unit, and search for a new home. Director: Matt Reeves. According to English Wikipedia, critics called the film a worthy end to Caesar’s story.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)
Original title: Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. The action takes place many generations after Caesar: the apes rule, while humans survive by hiding. When a new ruler starts building an empire, young chimpanzee Noa sets out on a dangerous journey. Director: Wes Ball, with Owen Teague, Freya Allan and Peter Macon in the cast.
1970s television series
Besides the films, two series were made. The live-action Planet of the Apes aired on CBS from September 13 to December 20, 1974: 14 episodes about two American astronauts and a chimpanzee named Galen (played by Roddy McDowall). The animated series “Return to the Planet of the Apes” aired on NBC from September 6 to November 29, 1975, with 13 episodes. They are not needed to understand the films.
What order to watch them in
You can pick one line, since they do not depend on each other. According to English Wikipedia, critics rate the first film of the original series the highest, the sequels did not repeat its acclaim, and critics are warmer toward the reboot, from Rise of the Planet of the Apes to Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.
| Option | Order |
|---|---|
| Original, by release | 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) |
| Original, by plot | 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 (1968), Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970) |
| Reboot | Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014), War for the Planet of the Apes (2017), Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024) |
| Standalone film | Tim Burton’s Planet of the Apes (2001) |
If you like watching films in order, we have similar guides: X-Men films, the Star Wars viewing order and the Marvel movie chronology.
Sources and methodology
Analysis of public sourcesChecked 17 October 2026
- 20th Century Studios — Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (official page) 20thcenturystudios.com
- 20th Century Studios — Planet of the Apes (1968) (official page) 20thcenturystudios.com
- Wikipedia — Planet of the Apes en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia (Russian) — Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes ru.wikipedia.org
Frequently asked questions
What order should you watch Planet of the Apes in?
Pick a line. The original series runs in release order, from Planet of the Apes in 1968 to Battle for the Planet of the Apes in 1973. The reboot is 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).
How many Planet of the Apes films are there?
Ten: five films in the original series, the 2001 remake and four reboot films. Two television series from the 1970s also came out.
Do I need to watch the 2001 Planet of the Apes?
No. It is a separate version of the story by Tim Burton: it has no sequels and is not connected to the original series or the reboot.
Should I start with the original or the reboot?
Either works. The original is a classic of the 1960s and 1970s, while the reboot starting with Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) is easier to watch as one continuous story of Caesar, which carries on in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.
When is the next Planet of the Apes film coming out?
No date has been announced. In October 2024 the studio reported a sequel in development, but we did not find a confirmed title, director or release date.
Leave a Reply