The "Planet of the Apes" franchise spans nearly 60 years and 10 movies, including the upcoming theatrical release "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes," directed by Wes Ball. Initially based on the 1963 novel by Pierre Boulle, the film series has expanded to encompass a sprawling history of the future Earth ruled by intelligent primates.
In addition to suspenseful sci-fi stories with often sharp social commentary, the "Planet of the Apes" movies have delivered cutting-edge special effects, from the prosthetic makeup of the original films to the motion-capture technology of the recent prequels. Images and quotes from the movies have become embedded in pop culture, even for people who haven't seen the films themselves.
First distributed by 20th Century Fox, the "Planet of the Apes" franchise is now owned by Disney, thanks to its acquisition of the studio in 2019. That means Disney-owned Hulu is the main home for the "Planet of the Apes" movies, although they also stream elsewhere. Here's how to watch every movie in the series.
How to watch the 'Planet of the Apes' movies in release order
The "Planet of the Apes" series began with the 1968 adaptation of Pierre Boulle's novel, starring Charlton Heston as an astronaut who finds himself stranded on a planet where apes have become the dominant species. Heston returned for the first sequel, after which the series shifted back in time to Earth before the ape takeover.
Three further sequels chronicle the rise of the ape society and the subjugation of humanity, with Roddy McDowell appearing as the apes Cornelius and his son Caesar, eventual leader of the ape movement.
All five original films stream on Hulu, with current availability on Starz as well.
- "Planet of the Apes" (1968): Stream on Hulu and Starz
- "Beneath the Planet of the Apes" (1970): Stream on Hulu and Starz
- "Escape from the Planet of the Apes" (1971): Stream on Hulu and Starz
- "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes" (1972): Stream on Hulu and Starz
- "Battle for the Planet of the Apes" (1973): Stream on Hulu and Starz
In 2001, director Tim Burton helmed a "Planet of the Apes" remake, going back to the original story, with Mark Wahlberg taking over for Charlton Heston as the modern-day astronaut who crash-lands on a planet dominated by intelligent apes.
Helena Bonham Carter, Tim Roth, Michael Clarke Duncan and Paul Giamatti co-star in the film that was a box-office success but was poorly received by critics, ultimately failing to restart an ongoing series.
- "Planet of the Apes" (2001): Stream on Hulu
Rather than remake the original "Planet of the Apes" again, the studio rebooted the franchise in 2011 with a prequel directed by Rupert Wyatt, drawing influence from the original films (particularly "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes") but telling a new story.
That launched a trilogy of new films, with Matt Reeves taking over as director for the next two installments. New theatrical release "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" follows that continuity while taking place hundreds of years later.
Like the rest of the franchise, the reboot trilogy streams of Hulu, with some availability on Max as well.
- "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" (2011): Stream on Hulu
- "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" (2014): Stream on Hulu and Max
- "War for the Planet of the Apes" (2017): Stream on Hulu and Max
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