New ‘Planet of the Apes’ movie in works with ‘Fantastic Four: First Steps’ director Matt Shakman

A new ‘Planet of the Apes’ movie is in development at 20th Century Studios, with Matt Shakman set to direct the next chapter in the long-running sci-fi franchise. Shakman, who directed ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ for Disney and Marvel, will work with screenwriter Josh Friedman on the new film. Plot details have not been revealed yet, but the project will return to the world of intelligent apes and the conflict between humans and primates.

Matt Shakman to direct new ‘Planet of the Apes’ movie

Deadline first reported the news of the new ‘Planet of the Apes’ movie. Shakman will also produce the film with Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver. Scott Aversano is overseeing the project for 20th Century Studios. Friedman wrote the screenplay for ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’, the most recent film in the franchise. He also worked with Shakman on ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’. His other credits at 20th Century Studios include ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ and ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’.


‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ earned almost USD 400 million worldwide on a budget of USD 160 million. The modern ‘Planet of the Apes’ franchise has delivered four films over 15 years and crossed USD 2 billion at the global box office.


Shakman’s recent work includes several major titles across film and television. He directed Marvel’s ‘WandaVision’, the studio’s first major streaming series. His credits also include pilots for ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’, ‘The Consultant’, ‘Welcome to Chippendales’ and ‘The Great’, starring Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult.

‘Planet of the Apes’ franchise continues after ‘Kingdom’

The new movie follows the success of ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’, which expanded the modern franchise after earlier films built around the rise of Caesar and the growing power of the apes. Shakman has also directed episodes of ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’, ‘Succession’ and ‘Game of Thrones’. He directed the pilot and final episode of the upcoming Siegfried and Roy series ‘Wild Things’, starring Jude Law and Andrew Garfield.


The studio has not announced the cast, release date, or story details for the new ‘Planet of the Apes’ movie.Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”