Severance Star Dichen Lachman Heads To The Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes

The world of "Planet of the Apes" continues to grow, and the latest film has just cast Dichen Lachman in an undisclosed role, per The Hollywood Reporter. These days Lachman is most recognizable for her turn as the mysterious corporate counselor Ms. Casey on the excellent Apple TV+ series "Severance," but she's been a stand-out in sci-fi projects in particular for years now, with memorable turns in "The 100," "Dollhouse," "Altered Carbon," and more. She also appeared in last year's blockbuster "Jurassic World Dominion."

While Lachman's part in the story is still under wraps, THR's report also includes some plot details for "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes," and the story frankly sounds pretty wild. The follow-up to 2017's "War For The Planet of the Apes" will take place years after the third film in the new franchise and bring viewers to a version of the world that sounds more similar to the one portrayed in both Franklin Schaffner's classic film and Tim Burton's less-beloved update. After Caesar died leading the apes to an oasis at the end of the most recent "Apes" film, several new ape colonies began to flourish while humans, once the dominant species, live a meager existence.

According to the outlet, the new film will feature at least two key plotlines, one of which follows a human woman who gets involved in an ape's quest, and another that features an ape leader who enslaves others in a hunt for human technology. Concept art for the film that was released last fall shows an ape on horseback traversing through an overgrown urban landscape that's now covered in greenery. The animal holds his hand out to meet a large, black bird that seems to be his faithful companion. Is this ape friend or foe? We're not sure yet, and we're also not sure where Dichen Lachman's character fits into the story.

The actress joins a growing ensemble that's led by Owen Teague, another underrated performer with memorable roles in "It," "Mrs. Fletcher," and "To Leslie." The cast also includes William H. Macy ("Shameless"), Peter Macon ("The Orville"), Freya Allan ("The Witcher"), Lydia Peckham ("Cowboy Bebop"), Travis Jeffery ("Rotten"), Neil Sandilands ("Sweet Tooth"), Sara Wiseman ("One Of Us Is Lying"), and Ras-Samuel Welda'abzgi ("Neighbours").

"Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" is directed by "The Maze Runner" filmmaker Wes Ball and currently has a May 24, 2024 release date set.