Let's be honest. Trying to figure out the Planet of the Apes order is a total nightmare if you're just looking at release dates. You’ve got talking chimps in 1968, marky-mark in a weird 2001 vacuum, and then a groundbreaking prequel trilogy that somehow feels like a reboot but also… isn’t? It’s a lot. If you walk into this franchise blind, you’re going to hit a wall of continuity errors and timeline resets that make the MCU look like a children's book.
The thing is, this isn't just one story. It’s a generational saga that has been reimagined, retconned, and revived over nearly sixty years. You can't just hit "play" on a random entry and expect to know why everyone is kneeling before a statue or why a specific virus is such a big deal.
Most people just want to know where to start. Do you go back to the grainy 60s footage, or do you start with Andy Serkis looking incredibly realistic as Caesar? The answer depends entirely on how much "cheese" you can handle and whether you care about the deep lore or just want a solid action flick.
The Release Date Trap: Why Chronological Isn't Always Better
If you decide to watch the Planet of the Apes order by when they actually hit theaters, you're in for a wild ride. You start with Pierre Boulle’s 1963 novel being adapted into the 1968 classic. Charlton Heston is screaming on a beach. It’s iconic. Then, the sequels get weird. Fast.
By the time you get to Escape from the Planet of the Apes, the apes are traveling back in time to the 1970s. It’s a paradox. Watching in release order lets you see how the special effects evolved—from rubber masks to state-of-the-art motion capture—but the narrative will give you whiplash. The 2001 Tim Burton film is basically an island; it doesn't connect to anything else. It's the "weird cousin" of the franchise. Then 2011 rolls around, and Rise of the Planet of the Apes starts a whole new timeline that basically ignores the 70s sequels.
Breaking Down the "Caesar" Trilogy and Beyond
For modern audiences, the Planet of the Apes order usually begins and ends with the "Apes Prequel" series. This is the stuff that actually holds up as prestige cinema. Honestly, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) is probably one of the best sequels ever made, period.
Here is how that specific "Reboot/Prequel" timeline flows:
- Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011): We meet Caesar. We see the ALZ-113 virus. Humans get sick; apes get smart. It's a tragedy disguised as a sci-fi movie.
- Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014): Set ten years later. San Francisco is a ruin. This is where the tension between Koba and Caesar creates the blueprint for the entire ape civilization.
- War for the Planet of the Apes (2017): The "biblical" conclusion. It’s dark. It’s basically a Western/Prison-break movie with monkeys. Woody Harrelson is there being terrifying.
- Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024): This is the "new" era. Set generations after Caesar's death. It’s a soft soft-reboot that acknowledges the past but moves the needle toward that 1968 world where humans can't talk.
This sequence is the most rewarding for a casual viewer. It’s cohesive. You see the world die and a new one grow. It's gritty, and frankly, the emotional weight of Caesar's journey is way more intense than it has any right to be.
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The Original 1960s and 70s "Circular" Timeline
If you're a completionist, you have to tackle the original quintet. This is the Planet of the Apes order that actually tries to explain how the world became what it was in the first movie. It’s a loop.
First, you have the 1968 Planet of the Apes. Then Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970), which ends with—spoilers for a fifty-year-old movie—the entire earth exploding. To keep the franchise going, the writers sent three apes (Zira, Cornelius, and Milo) through a time warp in Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971). They land in the 70s.
This leads to Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972), where the son of Zira and Cornelius, also named Caesar, leads a slave revolt. Finally, Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973) tries to tie it all together with a hopeful ending that suggests humans and apes might coexist. It’s lower budget, the masks look a bit more "Halloween store," but the sociopolitical themes are heavy. It's about civil rights, nuclear war, and animal cruelty.
The "Black Sheep" of the Family
We have to talk about 2001. Tim Burton’s Planet of the Apes. Mark Wahlberg is an astronaut. Estella Warren is there. It has an ending that literally makes no sense even if you watch it five times.
In terms of the Planet of the Apes order, this movie is a standalone "reimagining." It doesn't lead into the 2011 series. It doesn't connect to the 1968 original. If you’re a completionist, watch it last. Or skip it. Most fans skip it. The makeup by Rick Baker is incredible—seriously, the apes look amazing—but the script is a mess. It’s a dead end in the franchise’s DNA.
How to Actually Watch Them: The Expert Recommendations
I’ve seen these movies more times than I care to admit. If you want the best experience, don't just follow a list. Follow a "vibe."
The "Modern Masterpiece" Route
Start with Rise (2011) and go through Kingdom (2024). This is the "Simian Flu" timeline. It’s the most consistent and has the best acting. You won't feel like you're watching a "kid's movie." It’s serious drama.
The "Classic Sci-Fi" Route
Watch the 1968 original first. Just that one. It’s a perfect film. If you love it, watch the sequels, but be prepared for the quality to drop significantly with each entry. Conquest is the hidden gem of the sequels—it's incredibly dark and violent for its time.
The "Ultimate Timeline" Theory
Some fans, like those over at The Apes Lore communities, try to bridge them all. They argue that the 2011-2024 movies are a "new loop" in the timeline caused by the events of the original 1970s time travel. It’s a stretch, but it’s fun. In this order, you’d watch the Caesar prequels first, then the 1968 original, and end with the 1970s sequels to see the "end" of the world.
Real-World Impact and Why it Matters
Why do we keep making these? Why is the Planet of the Apes order even a thing people care about in 2026?
Because it’s a mirror. In the 60s, it was about the Cold War and racial tensions. In the 2010s, it was about animal testing and viral pandemics (which became eerily relevant). The franchise keeps evolving because our fears keep evolving. When we watch Caesar struggle to lead his people, we aren't just watching a CGI monkey; we're watching a leadership study.
Actionable Steps for Your Marathon
If you're planning to dive in this weekend, here is the most efficient way to do it without burning out:
- Prioritize the Caesar Trilogy: If you only have six hours, watch Rise, Dawn, and War. You get a complete story arc that is genuinely moving.
- Watch the 1968 Original with an Open Mind: Yes, the pacing is slower. Yes, the ending is famous. But the dialogue is sharp. It’s a courtroom drama for the first half, and it’s brilliant.
- Identify the "Eras": Understand that the "P5" (the original five movies) and the "Caesar Era" (2011-present) are separate continuities. Don't try to make the dates line up perfectly; they won't. The 1968 movie takes place in 3978. The modern movies start in roughly 2011. The math doesn't work, and that's okay.
- Check out the "Prohibited" Media: If you really get hooked, there was a short-lived TV series in 1974 and an animated show called Return to the Planet of the Apes. They are strictly for the hardcore fans who have already exhausted the films.
The best way to respect the Planet of the Apes order is to treat it as two distinct legends. One is a 1970s pulp-fiction epic about time loops and nuclear fate. The other is a modern tragedy about the rise of a new species. Both are worth your time, but they require different headspaces. Start with the 2011 Rise of the Planet of the Apes to get hooked on the characters, then go back to 1968 to see where the "myth" began.
Once you finish Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, you’ll realize the cycle is starting all over again, and that’s the beauty of this franchise. It never really ends; it just evolves.