Planet of the Apes - Watch Order: Release Order

1968 - 202410 Films18h 46m3.8 Average

The Planet of the Apes franchise spans over five decades and encompasses three distinct eras of filmmaking. The series began with the iconic 1968 original and four sequels that established the core mythology through 1973, featuring groundbreaking makeup effects and social commentary. Tim Burton's 2001 remake is standalone reimagining, while the modern era launched in 2011 has revitalized the franchise with cutting-edge motion capture technology.

This release order watch list allows you to experience the complete evolution of the franchise, from the classic practical effects era through contemporary blockbuster filmmaking. New viewers are recommended to watch in this order to appreciate each film's place in cinema history and avoid narrative spoilers.

1
Planet of the Apes poster

Planet of the Apes

19681h 52m4.6
Director: Franklin J. Schaffner
Cast: Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans, James Whitmore

Astronaut Taylor crash lands on a distant planet ruled by apes who use a primitive race of humans for experimentation and sport. Soon Taylor finds himself among the hunted, his life in the hands of a benevolent chimpanzee scientist.

Science FictionAdventureDramaAction
2
Beneath the Planet of the Apes poster

Beneath the Planet of the Apes

19701h 35m3.3
Director: Ted Post
Cast: James Franciscus, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans, Charlton Heston, Linda Harrison

The sole survivor of an interplanetary rescue mission lands on the planet of the apes, and uncovers a horrible secret beneath the surface.

AdventureScience FictionMystery
3
Escape from the Planet of the Apes poster

Escape from the Planet of the Apes

19711h 38m3.5
Director: Don Taylor
Cast: Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Bradford Dillman, Natalie Trundy, Eric Braeden

The world is shocked by the appearance of three talking chimpanzees, who arrived mysteriously in a spacecraft. Intrigued by their intelligence, humans use them for research - until the apes attempt to escape.

ActionScience Fiction
4
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes poster

Conquest of the Planet of the Apes

19721h 28m3.4
Director: J. Lee Thompson
Cast: Roddy McDowall, Don Murray, Ricardo Montalban, Hari Rhodes, Severn Darden

In a futuristic world that has embraced ape slavery, a chimpanzee named Caesar resurfaces after almost twenty years of hiding from the authorities, and prepares for a revolt against humanity.

ActionScience Fiction
5
Battle for the Planet of the Apes poster

Battle for the Planet of the Apes

19731h 33m3
Director: J. Lee Thompson
Cast: Roddy McDowall, Natalie Trundy, Austin Stoker, Severn Darden, Claude Akins

The fifth and final episode in the Planet of the Apes series. After the collapse of human civilization, a community of intelligent apes led by Caesar lives in harmony with a group of humans. Gorilla General Aldo tries to cause an ape civil war and a community of human mutants who live beneath a destroyed city try to conquer those whom they perceive as enemies. All leading to the finale.

ActionScience Fiction
6
Planet of the Apes poster

Planet of the Apes

20012h3
Director: Tim Burton
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Tim Roth, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Clarke Duncan, Kris Kristofferson

After a spectacular crash-landing on an uncharted planet, brash astronaut Leo Davidson finds himself trapped in a savage world where talking apes dominate the human race. Desperate to find a way home, Leo must evade the invincible gorilla army led by Ruthless General Thade.

ThrillerScience FictionActionAdventure
7
Rise of the Planet of the Apes poster

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

20111h 45m4.3
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Cast: Andy Serkis, James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Brian Cox

A highly intelligent chimpanzee named Caesar has been living a peaceful suburban life ever since he was born. But when he gets taken to a cruel primate facility, Caesar decides to revolt against those who have harmed him.

ThrillerActionDramaScience Fiction
8
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes poster

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

20142h 10m4.3
Director: Matt Reeves
Cast: Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Toby Kebbell, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell

A group of scientists in San Francisco struggle to stay alive in the aftermath of a plague that is wiping out humanity, while Caesar tries to maintain dominance over his community of intelligent apes.

Science FictionActionDramaThriller
9
War for the Planet of the Apes poster

War for the Planet of the Apes

20172h 20m4.2
Director: Matt Reeves
Cast: Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson, Karin Konoval, Terry Notary, Steve Zahn

Caesar and his apes are forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans led by a ruthless Colonel. After the apes suffer unimaginable losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind. As the journey finally brings them face to face, Caesar and the Colonel are pitted against each other in an epic battle that will determine the fate of both their species and the future of the planet.

DramaScience FictionWar
10
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes poster

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

20242h 25m4.1
Director: Wes Ball
Cast: Owen Teague, Freya Allan, Kevin Durand, Peter Macon, William H. Macy

Several generations following Caesar's reign, apes – now the dominant species – live harmoniously while humans have been reduced to living in the shadows. As a new tyrannical ape leader builds his empire, one young ape undertakes a harrowing journey that will cause him to question all he's known about the past and to make choices that will define a future for apes and humans alike.

Science FictionAdventureActionDramaThriller