Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes Footage Reaction: This Movie Looks Remarkable [CinemaCon 2024]
You maniacs! You brought the planet of the apes to CinemaCon 2024! Humanity has a lot of making up to do after ushering in the fall of civilization and our replacement at the top of the food chain by intelligent simians, so 20th Century Studios (under the auspices of its Disney overlords, of course) is doing all that it can to make things right by bringing the next installment of the popular sci-fi franchise to the annual convention aimed towards theater owners. Luckily, /Film's very own Ryan Scott is in attendance at the event, covering all the major happenings as major studios descend upon the bright lights of Las Vegas. CinemaCon has traditionally served as ground zero for exclusive first looks, buzzy footage descriptions, and all sorts of other marketing hype for the biggest and most anticipated movies on the calendar. This year is certainly no exception.
Directed by Wes Ball ("The Maze Runner" series), "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" marks the first big-screen sequel since 2017's trilogy-capper "War for the Planet of the Apes," which brought the downright mythological arc of Caesar to a fitting conclusion. Stepping in for Andy Serkis and his motion-capture prowess will be actor Owen Teague as Noa, our new ape protagonist in a story set many, many centuries after the events of the previous movies. Not only is it confirmed to be the longest film in the franchise, but the blockbuster has also managed to hold back quite a bit in its marketing so far. That's finally beginning to change, as Disney's CinemaCon panel put the upcoming film in the spotlight.
Here's what /Film can report firsthand about the footage shown in Las Vegas.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes footage description
The 13-minute footage presentation opens with a stunning shot of a waterfall in a lush forest. It's shot like a nature documentary, and every bit as beautiful as the best of that form's kind. This place is unspoiled by humans. Birds chirp, a hawk plunges out of the sky and plucks a fish out of the water. This is some kind of paradise.
A group of apes emerge from the side of a verdant mountain. They're romping. They're free of the tyranny of humans. And the CG presentation of the apes has lost none of the technical awe delivered by the previous trilogy. This is bleeding edge tentpole filmmaking.
The apes approach a bird's nest. It's the hawk that just captured the fish. The apes communicate amongst themselves in English. Their mastery of the language has vastly improved over the last 300 years. When the hawk flies away from the nest, they make their move.
There are three eggs in the nest. One of the apes says, "Take all three." Noa, the series' new protagonist played by Owen Teague, refuses. "Leave one always. That is the law."
Noa turns to a female ape in their party. "Which one sings to you," he asks. She replies, "We will raise them together. Like we were raised. It will be the same"
Suddenly, there's a stir in the forest. The apes scatter. Noa finds himself faced with crossing a steep cliff with no way across. Noa seizes a metal rod, and jams it into the side of the mountain to make his escape. His fellow apes are amazed by his daring. He finds another nest, and, just as he's about to slip and fall to his death, he finds a foothold. Even better, he's got an egg.
We then transition to the apes' village, which is every bit as peaceful as the Shire in "The Lord of the Rings." The apes are united, like one big family. But they are aware there are forces that would destroy their tranquil existence. "There are dangers beyond are village."
The savage destruction of an ape eden
And just like that they are under assault by a rival ape faction. They're ruthless. Noa attempts to save his father from being killed by one of the fiercest members of this warlike clan. He fails, falling from a burning tree abode to the ground.
Noa awakens, covered in ash. He's in rough shape. His village has been completely ransacked. Everything destroyed. Then he comes upon a dead ape on the ground. It's his father.
Noa buries his dad in a makeshift grave with rocks. As he places the last rock on the pile, he says, "Father, I will find them. I will bring them home." He then grabs the staff that belonged to his father, mounts a horse and rides up to an old train tunnel. The horse refuses to enter, but Noa overrides the animal's protests and rides through.
Noa blasts through on the other side of the tunnel, riding with furious purpose. He is headed for a city covered in green. He is on a mission, and woe betide anyone who stands against him.
The rest of the footage was a recap of the trailer. Every single frame of this film looks stunning. "The Planet of the Apes" franchise appears to be in excellent hands with director Wes Bell. May 10, 2024 cannot get here soon enough.