New Planet of the Apes movie on cards

It's good news for Planet of the Apes films fans! Disney and the 20th Century Studios are planning to take the franchise forward with another film, which will be directed by Wes Ball. Josh Friedman will write the screenplay for the film, which will go on floors by this year's end. 

In a recent interview Steve Asbell, the president of 20th Century Studios, confirmed the news. When asked for more details on the project, Asbell was quoted as saying, "We are expecting a draft very shortly, and its Wes Ball attached to direct. We hope to go by the late summer, early fall.”

The story and other details of the upcoming film are still unknown. However, Wes Ball earlier tweeted that the film will not be a reboot and that Caesar’s legacy will continue. Ball is known for directing the Maze Runner triolgy.

Planet of the Apes is one of the long-running film franchises in Hollywood that began with Planet of the Ape (1968), directed by Franklin J. Schaffner. Based on Pierre Boulle's 1963 novel La Planete des Singes, the franchise so far has about nine films and one animated series. 

The recent reboot trilogy began in 2011 with the film The Rise of the Planet of the Apes. The two subsequent films in the series - The Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2011) and The War for the Planet of the Apes (2017) - were directed by Matt Reeves. The franchise also extended in terms of comics, video games, and books.