The Maze Runner-director Wes Ball has been roped in to develop and direct a new Planet of the Apes film. However, it is still unclear if the film will be a reboot of the franchise or an extension of the previous movies, featuring Andy Serkis' motion-captured performance as the ape Caesar.

Planet of the Apes is one of the first major Fox franchises to be redeveloped following the Disney deal. The franchise is based on the 1963 novel by Pierre Boulle. The first Planet of the Apes film was released in 1968, which was followed by a series of sequels and a TV show. In 2001 Tim Burton directed a remake starring Mark Wahlberg.

A new trilogy of prequel films started in 2011 with Rupert Wyatt's Rise of the Planet of the Apes, followed by 2014's Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and War for the Planet of the Apes in 2017. Matt Reeves directed the final two films.