Matt Shakman Set to Direct New Planet of the Apes Movie
Matt Shakman is set to direct an untitled new Planet of the Apes movie at 20th Century, shifting from one major franchise to another after helping relaunch Fantastic Four. The project pairs him with Josh Friedman on the script and points to a fresh Apes chapter rather than a direct continuation of 2024’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.
Shakman’s new Apes assignment
Shakman will also produce the film with Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, giving him a hand in the project beyond directing. For 20th Century, that combination signals a deliberate franchise play: a filmmaker with recent superhero momentum is now being used to build the next phase of a property that has already grossed more than $1.7 billion worldwide.
Friedman is writing the script, and the two are developing a new original story. That matters because it separates the film from the most recent installment and suggests the studio is not treating Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes as the only template for what comes next.
Kingdom's $397 million base
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes brought in $397 million at the global box office under Wes Ball, which is the clearest recent proof that the franchise still has commercial range. The new film arrives with that baseline in mind, but the creative team now shifts to Shakman and Friedman instead of Ball.
Shakman’s franchise credentials are not limited to one recent release. He earned an Emmy nomination for directing WandaVision and directed pilots for Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, The Consultant, Welcome to Chippendales, and The Great, a résumé that shows studios trust him with setup work as much as payoff.
From 1968 to $521 million
Planet of the Apes dates back to 1968, and the run since then has included the 2001 remake, the 2011 reboot, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes in 2014, and War for the Planet of the Apes in 2017. That history is part of why a new original story matters: the franchise has room to keep moving without being tied to a single sequel path.
Fantastic Four: First Steps brought in $521 million globally, giving Shakman a second big-budget lane in quick succession. For Disney’s 20th Century, the move keeps one of its longest-running properties in active development and gives the studio another chance to extend a brand that has already outlasted multiple cycles of reinvention.
