Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Director Likens Main Hero to Luke Skywalker & Frodo

The latest installment in the beloved Planet of the Apes franchise, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, will be led by a new ape, Noa, who, according to director Wes Ball, will bear similarities to some of the greatest heroes in cinematic history. Including Star Wars’ Luke Skywalker and The Lord of the Rings protagonist Frodo Baggins. Speaking with Total Film (who have also released a new image from the movie which you can check out below), Ball reveals that Noa is just like “iconic heroes like Lord of the Rings’ Frodo Baggins and Star Wars’ Luke Skywalker” and will undergo a “great transformation” after starting off “kind and nice.”

This is not the first time that Ball has compared Kingdom of the Planet of the Apesto a galaxy far, far away. The filmmaker said previously that the sequel is mixed with “a little bit of Star Wars” and will bring “a younger spirit” to the franchise.

“When I first started on it, I said, ‘I feel like Apes needs a little bit of Star Wars.’ It’s all still very grounded in reality, but it is essentially a quest narrative. Our main character – the young, impressionable Noa [Owen Teague] – meets characters along the way and becomes awakened as he winds up in a place that will test him, and he ultimately becomes his true self.”

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Is Due to Hit Theaters This May

Following on from the recent, hugely successful Planet of the Apes trilogy, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and War for the Planet of the Apes, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes promises to breathe new life into the franchise and potentially spark a whole new trilogy of its own. Check out the official synopsis below.

“Set several generations in the future following Caesar’s reign, in which apes are the dominant species living harmoniously and humans have been reduced to living in the shadows. As a new tyrannical ape leader builds his empire, one young ape undertakes a harrowing journey that will cause him to question all that he has known about the past and to make choices that will define a future for apes and humans alike.”

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Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Director Won’t Rule Out Andy Serkis Returning to the Franchise: ‘He’s Just Too Iconic’

Director Wes Ball hints that Andy Serkis might return to the Planet of the Apes franchise in the future.

Directed by Wes Ball (the “Maze Runner” trilogy) from a screenplay written by Josh Friedman (“War of the Worlds”) and Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver (“Avatar: The Way of Water”) and Patrick Aison (“Prey”), Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes stars Owen Teague (“IT”), Freya Allan (“The Witcher”), Kevin Durand (“Locke & Key”), Peter Macon (“Shameless”), and William H. Macy (“Fargo”).