Do you feel like binge-watching the well-known American science fiction series “The Planet of the Apes”?
We have collected the nine films that make up The Planet of the Apes movies in order of release for you.
The original Planet of the Apes movie was hugely successful, based on the French author Pierre Boulle’s novel “La Planete des Singes.”
Numerous sequels and reboots have been made after the first movie’s success to capitalize on that success.
How Many The Planet of the Apes Movies are There?
The Planet of the Apes franchise became a large franchise after the first Planet of the Apes movie’s success, birthing other installments in the original film series, remakes, reboots, and other forms of merchandise, including works inspired by the movie’s theme.
In the original series, which began in 1968, we have:
- 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)
After plans for a remake were stalled, the first remake, directed by Tim Burton, was released 10 years later.
The next movie in the franchise was released in 2011 and was directed by Rupert Wyatt, and it relaunched the franchise with the 2014 and 2017 installments directed by Matt Reeves.
The list of the movies that are part of the remakes and reboots include:
- Planet of the Apes (2001)
- Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
- Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
- War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)
The franchise also includes the animated series Return to the Planet of the Apes, which ran from 1975 to 1976. There are also a series of video games.
Planet of the Apes Movies in Order
1. Planet of the Apes (1968)
- Cast: Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Maurice Evans, Kim Hunter, James Whitmore, James Daly, Linda Harrison
- Runtime: 112 minutes
The movie that started it all is the first on our list of The Planet of the Apes movies in order, which Franklin J. Schaffner directed.
It follows three astronauts as they reawaken after a crash landing in an unfamiliar world.
George Taylor, one of the astronauts, is abducted by highly intelligent apes. Zira, an amiable monkey played by Kim Hunter, and Taylor collaborate while investigating him.
2. Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970)
- Cast: James Franciscus, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans, Linda Harrison, Charlton Heston
- Runtime: 95 minutes
The second installment in The Planet of the Apes movies in order was released in 1970.
Brent is the lone survivor of a ship sent to rescue the three astronauts from the first Planet of the Apes film.
Shortly after entering the Forbidden Zone, Brent runs into Nova, Taylor’s leading lady from the previous movie.
Nova drives Brent to the ape city, where he also encounters Zira.
The narrative continues with an intriguing storyline as Brent returns to the Forbidden Zone. There is only one way to find out more about what unfolds.
3. Escape from Planet of the Apes (1971)
- Cast: Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Bradford Dillman, Natalie Trundy, Eric Braeden, Sal Mineo, Ricardo Montalbán
- Runtime: 98 minutes
The next movie in The Planet of the Apes movies in order showcases a fundamental discovery.
The Alpha and Omega apocalypse devices destroy the ape planet, as shown in Beneath the Planet of Apes’ conclusion.
Zira and her spouse, however, repaired the spacecraft that brought astronauts to the planet of the apes before the doomsday weapon was activated.
Subsequently, all three apes are brought to a Los Angeles zoo and given intelligence tests.
Hassling, a government scientist, contends that humans should be protected from apes and that the apes should be exterminated.
4. Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)
- Cast: Roddy McDowall, Don Murray, Ricardo Montalbán, Natalie Trundy, Hari Rhodes
- Runtime: 88 minutes
This movie is the fourth of Arthur P. Jacobs’ original, The Planet of the Apes movies, in order of release.
Don Murray, Ricardo Montalbán, and Roddy McDowall appear in the film.
Following the events of Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971), it examines how the apes rebelled against human maltreatment.
A young ape is now being raised by Armando and is known as Caesar by the owner of a circus.
Caesar turns out to be the only talking ape, which makes everyone realize that Caesar is different from most apes and that Cornelius’ and Zira’s child may threaten humanity.
5. Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973)
- Cast: Roddy McDowall, Claude Akins, Natalie Trundy, Severn Darden, Lew Ayres, Paul Williams, John Huston
- Runtime: 93 minutes
This story follows a catastrophic conflict between apes and humans in the previous chapter.
The last of the surviving apes and humans are fighting for their lives.
Caesar believes living peacefully with humans is the only way to preserve the world. However, other apes and humans do not share Caesar’s view.
You can watch it following 1968’s Planet of the Apes to notice the differences or save it for the very end as a bonus viewing.
Being a total reboot, it is the only movie in the series without an established place in the timeline.
6. Planet of Apes (2001)
- Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Tim Roth, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Clarke Duncan, Kris Kristofferson, Estella Warren, Paul Giamatti
- Runtime: 120 minutes
Another topper in The Planet of the Apes movies in order is this fans’ favorite, which Tim Burton directed and released in 2001.
It is the sixth installment in the series, which is a remake of the 1968 picture and was partially based on Pierre Boulle’s 1963 novel of the same name.
It depicts the tale of astronaut Leo Davidson’s crash landing on a planet with advanced ape civilization.
The apes view humans as property, but Leo incites a revolt with the aid of another ape named Ari.
7. Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
- Cast: James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Brian Cox, Tom Felton, David Oyelowo, Andy Serkis
- Runtime: 105 minutes
The seventh on our list of The Planet of the Apes movies in order was directed by Rupert Wyatt, featuring Andy Serkis as Caesar in motion capture.
In the plot, James Franco plays Will Rodman, a scientist searching for an Alzheimer’s cure in the near future.
At the movie’s start, Rodman witnesses the treatment of a baby chimpanzee with an experimental drug and takes the child in after the baby’s mother passes away, naming him Caesar.
The actor’s performance and the plot of the movie earned good reviews from critics. Everyone was interested in finding out what the next plot twist in the franchise would be.
8. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
- Cast: Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Toby Kebbell, Kodi Smit-McPhee
- Runtime: 130 minutes
It is the eighth film in this series of the Planet of the Apes movies in order of release.
It opens with Caesar in charge of a flourishing ape community in the Redwood forests south of San Francisco, ten years after the occurrences in “Rise of the Planet of the Apes.”
Most of humanity has been wiped off by the Simian plague, but survivors led by a man named Dreyfus discovered the Apes when entering the jungle to repair a hydroelectric dam.
It is a good watch and comes highly recommended. The fact that the self-conscious apes are portrayed with enough finesse and emotion to make them likable movie characters sets this series apart from similar attempts.
9. War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)
- Cast: Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson, Steve Zahn
- Runtime: 140 minutes
In this installment of The Planet of the Apes movies in order, Caesar and his apes are compelled to engage in a deadly battle with a human army under the command of a vicious colonel.
Owing to the apes’ unimaginable losses, Caesar struggles with his darker impulses and sets on his legendary journey to exact revenge on his species.
Caesar and the colonel are thrown against one another in an epic fight that will decide the fate of both of their species as well as the future of the planet as the voyage finally brings them face to face. Who will emerge as a conqueror?
