As Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes ramps up its production more details are finally coming out. A new report by Deadline reveals actor William H. Macy has joined the cast list alongside Owen Teague, Freya Allan, and Peter Macon. Currently, it is unknown who Macy will be playing in the upcoming feature.
The Maze Runner franchise helmer Wes Ball is set to direct the new movie in the franchise from a screenplay written by Josh Friedman, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, and Patrick Aison. While the plot details of the film are scarce, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will serve as a new chapter in the franchise. It is expected to be set many years after the events of War For the Planet of the Apes. Principal photography began in Disney Studios Australia in October.
Starting back in 1968, Planet of the Apes has been a long-running franchise that has spun numerous reboots, remakes, TV series, and video games. Over the years, the movies have been commended for its stunning visuals, complex storylines, and visual effects that include performance capture. The franchise is based on a 1963 science fiction novel by French author Pierre Boulle and examines humanity’s relationship with nature and its habitat. The most recent movie in the franchise is the trilogy that began in 2011 with Rise of the Planet of the Apes, starring Andy Serkis as Caesar, the intelligent leader of the apes. It was followed by the 2014 Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and concluded with War For the Planet of the Apes, which ended with Caesar's death and humanity slowly dying off.
Academy Award-nominated Macy is well known for playing Frank Gallagher in Showtime’s Shameless, which recently wrapped its 11-season run on the network. He has features like Fargo, Air Force One, Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Jurassic Park III, Seabiscuit, and The Lincoln Lawyer to his credit. He was last seen in Hulu’s Emmy-winning limited series The Dropout.
Further, rounding off the cast of Kingdom of the Planet of Apes are Eka Darville, Kevin Durand, Travis Jeffery, Neil Sandilands, Sara Wiseman, Lydia Peckham, and Ras-Samuel Weld A'abzgi. The feature is produced by Joe Hartwick Jr., Jaffa, Silver, and Jason Reed.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will be released in theaters on May 24, 2024. You can check out the trailer for War For the Planet of the Apes, below: