Let’s be real for a second. Trying to figure out the planet of the apes movies order is kind of like trying to explain time travel to a toddler while you’re both riding a roller coaster. It’s messy. It’s circular. Just when you think you’ve got the timeline nailed down, a talking chimpanzee from the future shows up in a 1970s spacecraft and ruins your whole afternoon.
The franchise has been around since 1968. That is a massive amount of lore. We’ve got the original pentalogy, a weirdly muscular remake from the early 2000s, a grounded prequel trilogy that basically redefined modern motion capture, and now, a whole new era starting with Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. If you just sit down and watch them in the order they were released, you’re going to hit a wall of confusion around movie number three. But if you try to watch them chronologically? Good luck. You’ll be jumping between grainy 60s film stock and cutting-edge CGI like a madman.
Most people get this wrong because they assume it’s one long, continuous story. It isn’t. It’s more like a series of interconnected loops and restarts. You have to know which "universe" you’re in before you press play.
The Release Date Path: Watching the Evolution
If you want to see how cinema history actually happened, you watch them as they came out. This is honestly the best way to appreciate the practical effects transition into digital wizardry.
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We start with the 1968 classic Planet of the Apes. Charlton Heston screaming on a beach. It’s iconic. Then come the 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).
These movies were made on shrinking budgets. By the time you get to Battle, the makeup looks a little more "Halloween store" than "Hollywood masterpiece," but the social commentary is still biting. Then, things go dark for decades. We don't talk much about the 2001 Tim Burton version starring Mark Wahlberg, but it exists in its own weird bubble. Finally, the "Caesar" era kicks off in 2011 with Rise of the Planet of the Apes, followed by Dawn (2014) and War (2017), leading us into the 2024 entry, Kingdom.
The Chronological Headache
If you’re a glutton for punishment and want the planet of the apes movies order based on the internal timeline of the story, you’re going to have to do some mental gymnastics. Technically, the story begins in 2011 with Rise. This is where James Franco’s character accidentally starts the end of the world with a viral Alzheimer's cure.
From there, you jump to Dawn, where apes have established a colony in the woods near San Francisco. Then War finishes Caesar's personal journey. Fast forward roughly 300 years, and you hit Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Now, here is where it gets tricky.
Technically, the events of the original 1968 film take place in the year 3978. So, in theory, the 60s and 70s films are the "future" of the modern movies. But—and this is a big but—the 1970s sequels create a time loop. In Escape from the Planet of the Apes, Zira and Cornelius travel back to 1973. This creates an alternate timeline that contradicts the "Caesar" origins we saw in the 2011 reboot. You can’t make them fit perfectly. They are two different takes on how the world ended.
Why the 1968 Original Still Hits Different
People forget how political these movies were. Planet of the Apes wasn't just about monkeys in vests; it was a scathing look at the Cold War, nuclear extinction, and racial tension.
The script was co-written by Rod Serling. Yeah, the Twilight Zone guy. That’s why the twist ending feels so much like a gut punch. When Taylor sees the Statue of Liberty, it isn't just a "gotcha" moment. It’s a funeral for humanity.
Expert film historians like Eric Greene, author of Planet of the Apes as American Myth, have pointed out how the series used the "Ape" society to mirror the flaws in our own. The orangutans represented the religious and political establishment, the gorillas were the military, and the chimpanzees were the scientists and intellectuals. It’s surprisingly sophisticated for a movie that features a guy in a loincloth getting chased by a horse-riding gorilla.
The Caesar Trilogy: A Masterclass in CGI
When Rise of the Planet of the Apes was announced, everyone rolled their eyes. Another reboot? Really?
But Andy Serkis changed the game. His performance as Caesar is arguably one of the best pieces of acting in the 21st century, digital or otherwise. The nuance he brings to a character that starts as a pet and ends as a revolutionary leader is staggering.
- Rise (2011): The origin of the ALZ-113 virus and Caesar’s escape.
- Dawn (2014): A Shakespearean tragedy about two leaders (Caesar and Koba) trying to prevent a war that is already inevitable.
- War (2017): A gritty, biblical epic that sees the final collapse of human military power.
Watching these back-to-back is a heavy experience. It’s not "popcorn" cinema in the way Marvel is. It’s bleak. It’s rainy. It’s emotionally exhausting. And that’s why it works.
Breaking Down the "New" Era: Kingdom and Beyond
Director Wes Ball took a massive risk with Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. He moved the clock forward several centuries. Caesar is no longer a living leader; he’s a legend. He’s basically Moses or Jesus to the various ape clans that have cropped up.
This movie explores how "holy texts" and legacies get distorted. You have a villain, Proximus Caesar, who twists Caesar's teachings to enslave other apes. It’s a brilliant way to keep the planet of the apes movies order feeling fresh without just rehashing the same "humans vs. apes" tropes. It leans into a "Bronze Age" feel where nature has completely reclaimed the cities.
The Tim Burton Outlier
We have to mention the 2001 film. It stars Mark Wahlberg as an astronaut who crashes on a planet where—you guessed it—apes rule.
The makeup by Rick Baker is actually incredible. It’s much more expressive than the 1968 version. But the story? It’s a mess. The ending, which features a "General Thade" version of the Lincoln Memorial, makes zero sense. It doesn't fit into any timeline. It’s its own standalone thing. If you’re doing a marathon, you can safely skip this one unless you’re a completionist or you really like seeing Paul Giamatti as an orangutan slave trader.
How to Actually Watch Them (The Pro Strategy)
If you want the most satisfying experience, don't go chronologically. Go by "Era."
The Modern Epic (The "Caesar" Saga)
Start here if you want high-quality acting and a cohesive story.
- 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
The Classic Cycle (The "Vintage" Saga)
Watch these if you love 70s sci-fi and don't mind some dated effects.
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- Planet of the Apes (1968)
- Beneath the Planet of the Apes
- Escape from the Planet of the Apes
- Conquest of the Planet of the Apes
- Battle for the Planet of the Apes
Honestly, Escape is the secret MVP of the original series. It’s a fish-out-of-water comedy that slowly turns into a horrific tragedy. It’s bold filmmaking that you just don't see in franchises anymore.
Common Misconceptions About the Timeline
One of the biggest mistakes people make is trying to link the 2011 Rise directly to the 1968 original. They don't technically connect.
In the 1968 version, the "plague" that killed the dogs and cats (leading humans to take apes as pets) happened in the late 20th century. In the new movies, it’s a lab-grown virus that wipes out humans and boosts ape intelligence simultaneously. They are parallel universes. Think of them like different "runs" of a comic book. They share the same DNA, but the specifics of the mutation are different.
Another thing: the 1970s TV show and the animated series? They aren't canon to the movies. They are fun curiosities, but if you include them in your planet of the apes movies order, you’ll be sitting on your couch for a week straight.
What’s Next for the Franchise?
The producers have hinted that Kingdom is the start of a new trilogy. We are moving toward the era where apes are truly the masters of the world and humans have devolved into "silence."
The fascinating thing about this series is that we already know the ending. We know the world becomes the Planet of the Apes. The tension doesn't come from if the apes win, but how they handle that power. Will they repeat human mistakes? Kingdom suggests they already are.
Your Actionable Watch Plan
If you’re ready to dive in, here is exactly how to handle the planet of the apes movies order this weekend:
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- Prioritize the Caesar Trilogy first. It’s the most accessible and provides the emotional foundation for everything happening in theaters right now.
- Watch the 1968 Original as a "Historical Document." Even if you know the twist, the dialogue and atmosphere are unmatched.
- Skip the 2001 Remake. Unless you are doing a "bad movie night" with friends, it adds nothing to the overall lore and will only confuse your understanding of the timeline.
- Pay attention to the names. Notice how names like "Cornelius," "Nova," and "Maurice" pop up across different eras. These aren't just easter eggs; they are thematic anchors that tie the different universes together.
- Look for the "Icarus" Easter Egg. In the 2011 Rise, there’s a news report about a lost spaceship called the Icarus. That’s the ship Taylor was on in the 1968 movie. It’s a tiny nod that suggests, in some version of reality, those two stories might eventually collide.
The beauty of this franchise is its grit. It’s one of the few big-budget series that actually lets the "bad guys" (from a human perspective) win. It’s cynical, it’s smart, and it’s arguably the most consistent sci-fi property in Hollywood history. Pick an era, grab some popcorn, and watch the world fall.