Wes Ball, the director behind ‘The Maze Runner’ trilogy, has been tapped to take the helm for the next chapter in the ‘Planet of the Apes’ franchise, THR has learned.
Based on the novel by French writer Pierre Boulle, the original 1968 ‘Planet of the Apes’ film starred Charlton Heston as an astronaut who lands on a planet and discovers an advanced ape civilization ruling over primitive humans. The film spawned four sequels, a live-action TV series and an animated series. A remake, directed by Tim Burton, followed in 2001 but failed it ignite the box office.
In 2011, a new trilogy of movies kicked off with ‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes,’ an origin story chronicling how the primates took over. The new series was a box office smash, winning over critics and moviegoers with the groundbreaking effects, and Andy Serkis’ mesmerizing performance as Caesar.
Confirming the news of his hiring via Twitter, Ball commented “I’ll say this about Apes. I grew up on the original and absolutely love the previous trilogy. I would only do this if I felt I could offer something special while still honouring what’s come before. We have something that’s shaping up to be an awesome chapter to this franchise.”