Planet of the Apes Timeline Explained
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VOICE OVER: Rebecca Brayton
WRITTEN BY: Derick McDuff
Where did those damned dirty apes come from, anyway? Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're breaking down the complete timeline for The Planet of the Apes. Since we'll be discussing the plots of these films in depth be warned, there'll be plenty of spoilers. We'll have a look at "Rise of the Planet of the Apes", the Simian Flu, the battle of the Golden Gate and more!
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re breaking down the complete timeline for The Planet of the Apes. We’ll be discussing the current “Planet of the Apes” films, which exist in a separate continuity from the original movies and Tim Burton’s 2001 version. Since we’ll be discussing the plots of these films in depth be warned, there'll be plenty of spoilers. Are you excited for the next installment in the “Apes” saga? Let us know in the comments.
Acting as a new beginning to the franchise, “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” is set in the present day, showing a world not yet dominated by apes. The film opened with poachers capturing a chimpanzee who was, unbeknownst to them, pregnant. That chimp, later known as Bright Eyes, was tested with an experimental drug, a virus known as ALZ-112, created by chemist Will Rodman. Working for the biotech company Gen-Sys, Will had spent five years developing the drug as a potential cure for Alzheimer's. Thanks to the drug, Bright Eyes showed an extreme spike in intelligence before secretly giving birth. Attempting to hide and protect her baby, Bright Eyes was gunned down in a rampage through Gen-Sys’ labs. Subsequently, Will adopted the newborn and his father Charles, who was revealed to suffer from Alzheimer's, named the chimp Caesar.
After three years, it became clear that Caesar inherited his mother’s intelligence with the effects of the drug being passed down genetically. During this time, Will gave Charles the ALZ-112, seemingly curing him. However, five years later, the disease returns with even more severity. After an incident where Caesar attempted to defend the confused Charles, Caesar was placed in a primate sanctuary. There, he encountered the orangutan Maurice, his closest ally for years to come, and fellow chimp Rocket. In an attempt to once again cure his father, Will developed a more aggressive strain of the virus, ALZ-113. As a test subject, a bonobo that bore scars from years of lab tests was chosen. Lab tech Franklin accidentally became exposed to the now airborne strain during the test, though.
The ALZ-113 was even more effective on apes than the 112. As Franklin would soon find out, however, it proved deadly and highly infectious to humans. Before dying, Franklin would infect Will’s neighbor. Meanwhile Caesar, after some tribulations, becomes the leader of the apes in the sanctuary and, in a reference to the original “Apes” movies, uttered the first spoken word by an ape, “No!” He steals the ALZ-113, freeing the sanctuary apes, the ones at Gen-Sys (including Koba), as well as many in the nearby San Francisco Zoo. He leads the group across the Golden Gate Bridge, causing a violent standoff between species, with the apes ultimately escaping into the Woodlands.
Will’s now-infected neighbor was revealed to be a commercial pilot and the ALZ-113 virus began to rapidly spread across the planet, becoming commonly known as the “Simian Flu.” Only about one in five hundred humans were immune to the effects of the virus and before long, civilization collapsed, with many of the survivors perishing in the infighting. While pockets of humanity survived, Caesar's apes thrived in the forest, creating an enlightened ape society. Ten years after the battle of the Golden Gate, they remained unsure if any humans were even left alive.
That was until they came face to face with them. A group of survivors, including a man named Malcolm and his family, encounter Caesars’ apes. In San Francisco, the remains of human civilization have clung to life, but face certain death as the city has lost any means of power. Seeking to utilize a dam in the heart of Caesar's territory to power the city, tensions run high as members of both human and ape society remain distrustful of each other. Despite these tensions, by working together, the power is restored, and for one glorious moment, there is a tentative peace.
A peace that is tragically shattered when Koba, who still despises humans after years of experimentation, steals their guns, sets the ape home on fire, and shoots Caesar. Framing humans for the attempted murder, Koba storms San Francisco, taking over the city and causing the city-dwellers to radio for military assistance. Barely surviving the assassination attempt, Caesar returned to face Koba in a climactic final battle where he ultimately killed the traitorous ape. Despite his victory, he could not undo the war begun by Koba, and Caesar bid a tearful goodbye to Malcolm, knowing that the military would be coming for him and his kind.
The remnants of the US Army sent the Alpha-Omega squadron to deal with Caesar, who spent two years hiding from them. During this time, the Simian Flu mutated, causing human survivors, already carriers of the virus, to become mute and seemingly primitive. Alpha-Omega began to execute those displaying signs of infection, which caused a schism between them and the remainder of the Army. Alpha-Omega became more cult-like with a powerful devotion to their colonel, who killed his own son when he became infected. After a gorilla, Winter, betrayed Caesar the colonel found his hidden base, killing Caesar's wife and child.
Caesar’s apes set off for a new home, a promised land in an oasis, but Caesar embarked on a mission of revenge against the Colonel, accompanied by Maurice and Rocket. In his travels, Caesar encountered the infected human girl later nicknamed Nova, and the chimp Bad Ape, proving that even apes outside of Caesar’s society have contracted the virus and evolved. However, on their pilgrimage, the apes were kidnapped by Alpha-Omega and forced into slave labor, building a wall to defend the squadron from the impending attack from the rest of the military. Maurice, Bad Ape, Nova, and Rocket came to Caesar and the rest of the kidnapped ape’s aid to execute a great escape. Just as the breakout was occurring, the military began their assault.
Ignoring the chaos outside, Caesar could not yet let go of his need for revenge on the Colonel. When he finds him, though, Caesar discovers he has been infected by a doll left behind by Nova, and asks Caesar to end his life. Caesar walks away and the Colonel ends his own life. In an act of bravery and self-sacrifice, Caesar manages to cause an explosion to take down Alpha-Omega, which in turn causes an avalanche burying the other military combatants. Only the apes (and Nova) are spared by climbing the trees. Caesar finally leads his apes across the desert to their new oasis home, giving them peace and finding some for himself. As his apes celebrate, Caesar succumbs to his wounds, ultimately passing into legend.
“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” will pick up in a world where humans have many apes have forgotten the teachings of Caesar almost three hundred years after the apes arrived at the oasis.
Acting as a new beginning to the franchise, “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” is set in the present day, showing a world not yet dominated by apes. The film opened with poachers capturing a chimpanzee who was, unbeknownst to them, pregnant. That chimp, later known as Bright Eyes, was tested with an experimental drug, a virus known as ALZ-112, created by chemist Will Rodman. Working for the biotech company Gen-Sys, Will had spent five years developing the drug as a potential cure for Alzheimer's. Thanks to the drug, Bright Eyes showed an extreme spike in intelligence before secretly giving birth. Attempting to hide and protect her baby, Bright Eyes was gunned down in a rampage through Gen-Sys’ labs. Subsequently, Will adopted the newborn and his father Charles, who was revealed to suffer from Alzheimer's, named the chimp Caesar.
After three years, it became clear that Caesar inherited his mother’s intelligence with the effects of the drug being passed down genetically. During this time, Will gave Charles the ALZ-112, seemingly curing him. However, five years later, the disease returns with even more severity. After an incident where Caesar attempted to defend the confused Charles, Caesar was placed in a primate sanctuary. There, he encountered the orangutan Maurice, his closest ally for years to come, and fellow chimp Rocket. In an attempt to once again cure his father, Will developed a more aggressive strain of the virus, ALZ-113. As a test subject, a bonobo that bore scars from years of lab tests was chosen. Lab tech Franklin accidentally became exposed to the now airborne strain during the test, though.
The ALZ-113 was even more effective on apes than the 112. As Franklin would soon find out, however, it proved deadly and highly infectious to humans. Before dying, Franklin would infect Will’s neighbor. Meanwhile Caesar, after some tribulations, becomes the leader of the apes in the sanctuary and, in a reference to the original “Apes” movies, uttered the first spoken word by an ape, “No!” He steals the ALZ-113, freeing the sanctuary apes, the ones at Gen-Sys (including Koba), as well as many in the nearby San Francisco Zoo. He leads the group across the Golden Gate Bridge, causing a violent standoff between species, with the apes ultimately escaping into the Woodlands.
Will’s now-infected neighbor was revealed to be a commercial pilot and the ALZ-113 virus began to rapidly spread across the planet, becoming commonly known as the “Simian Flu.” Only about one in five hundred humans were immune to the effects of the virus and before long, civilization collapsed, with many of the survivors perishing in the infighting. While pockets of humanity survived, Caesar's apes thrived in the forest, creating an enlightened ape society. Ten years after the battle of the Golden Gate, they remained unsure if any humans were even left alive.
That was until they came face to face with them. A group of survivors, including a man named Malcolm and his family, encounter Caesars’ apes. In San Francisco, the remains of human civilization have clung to life, but face certain death as the city has lost any means of power. Seeking to utilize a dam in the heart of Caesar's territory to power the city, tensions run high as members of both human and ape society remain distrustful of each other. Despite these tensions, by working together, the power is restored, and for one glorious moment, there is a tentative peace.
A peace that is tragically shattered when Koba, who still despises humans after years of experimentation, steals their guns, sets the ape home on fire, and shoots Caesar. Framing humans for the attempted murder, Koba storms San Francisco, taking over the city and causing the city-dwellers to radio for military assistance. Barely surviving the assassination attempt, Caesar returned to face Koba in a climactic final battle where he ultimately killed the traitorous ape. Despite his victory, he could not undo the war begun by Koba, and Caesar bid a tearful goodbye to Malcolm, knowing that the military would be coming for him and his kind.
The remnants of the US Army sent the Alpha-Omega squadron to deal with Caesar, who spent two years hiding from them. During this time, the Simian Flu mutated, causing human survivors, already carriers of the virus, to become mute and seemingly primitive. Alpha-Omega began to execute those displaying signs of infection, which caused a schism between them and the remainder of the Army. Alpha-Omega became more cult-like with a powerful devotion to their colonel, who killed his own son when he became infected. After a gorilla, Winter, betrayed Caesar the colonel found his hidden base, killing Caesar's wife and child.
Caesar’s apes set off for a new home, a promised land in an oasis, but Caesar embarked on a mission of revenge against the Colonel, accompanied by Maurice and Rocket. In his travels, Caesar encountered the infected human girl later nicknamed Nova, and the chimp Bad Ape, proving that even apes outside of Caesar’s society have contracted the virus and evolved. However, on their pilgrimage, the apes were kidnapped by Alpha-Omega and forced into slave labor, building a wall to defend the squadron from the impending attack from the rest of the military. Maurice, Bad Ape, Nova, and Rocket came to Caesar and the rest of the kidnapped ape’s aid to execute a great escape. Just as the breakout was occurring, the military began their assault.
Ignoring the chaos outside, Caesar could not yet let go of his need for revenge on the Colonel. When he finds him, though, Caesar discovers he has been infected by a doll left behind by Nova, and asks Caesar to end his life. Caesar walks away and the Colonel ends his own life. In an act of bravery and self-sacrifice, Caesar manages to cause an explosion to take down Alpha-Omega, which in turn causes an avalanche burying the other military combatants. Only the apes (and Nova) are spared by climbing the trees. Caesar finally leads his apes across the desert to their new oasis home, giving them peace and finding some for himself. As his apes celebrate, Caesar succumbs to his wounds, ultimately passing into legend.
“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” will pick up in a world where humans have many apes have forgotten the teachings of Caesar almost three hundred years after the apes arrived at the oasis.
