Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Director on Andy Serkis: ‘He’s Just Too Iconic’

The director of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes has revealed why Andy Serkis isn’t part of the upcoming Planet of the Apes movie.

Speaking with Empire Magazine, the filmmaker revealed that the reason Serkis isn’t in the newest Planet of the Apes movie is that the actor is simply “too iconic,” prompting Ball to instead consider bringing Serkis back in later movies instead.

“We talked about it, for sure,” Ball stated (via SlashFilm). “Like, ‘Could you play another ape character?’ I entertained that thought for a long time, because I thought it would be f—ing cool. And Matt [Reeves] would always say, ‘Andy is the best actor I’ve ever worked with.’ He’s just too iconic, in a way. So we decided it’s probably best to think about future movies where maybe he can come in.”

The next film in the Planet of the Apes series is set to star William H. Macy, Owen Teague, Freya Allen, Dichen Lachman, and Peter Macon, among others. The upcoming film is set “many years” following the events of 2017’s War for the Planet of the Apes. After Caesar brought his people to an oasis, new ape societies have grown, while humans have been reduced to a more “feral-like existence.”

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will be written by Josh Friedman, Rick Jaffa, and Amanda Silver, the latter of whom was also a writer for Rise of the Planet of the Apes. The film will be produced by Patrick Aison, Joe Hartwick Jr., Jaffa, Silver, and Jason Reed.

What is Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes about?

“Director Wes Ball breathes new life into the global, epic franchise set several generations in the future following Caesar’s reign, in which apes are the dominant species living harmoniously and humans have been reduced to living in the shadows,” the official synopsis reads. “As a new tyrannical ape leader builds his empire, one young ape undertakes a harrowing journey that will cause him to question all that he has known about the past and to make choices that will define a future for apes and humans alike.”