Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes keeps the grand tradition of the Apes franchise alive. At least, the grand tradition the franchise has established in the 21st century. What was previously a set of charming retro sci-fi films has become one of the most critically acclaimed properties in all Hollywood.
Kingdom, a standalone sequel to War for the Planet of the Apes (2017), has received positive reviews from fans and critics alike. Particular praise has been given to the motion capture and the way it ties in characters and elements from the original film.
In today’s streaming world, however, viewing options are plentiful. Sure, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes would be most enjoyable on a gigantic IMAX screen, but life gets in the way. It’d be much easier if one could simply sit on their couch and catch up with the new generation of primates at home. Quality is present, regardless of the size of the screen or the number of times one has to press pause.
Here’s what you need to know about Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes and its streaming options.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is exclusively in theaters
The sneaking suspicion you had was true. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is a huge tentpole franchise for 20th Century Fox (and by extension, Disney), so it makes sense that the studio would want to gross as much as possible by releasing it exclusively in theaters. It was the standard before the 2020 pandemic hit, and it’s still put into practice when it’s a brand as recognizable as the apes who took over the planet.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes was released on May 10, and the big screen will be the only place that fans will be able to see it for the first couple of weeks. This is good news for director Wes Ball. He recently told ABC that he was inspired by sprawling epics like Avatar (2009) when making the new Apes film, and was thrilled with the way that it looked when it finally saw it in a big theater setting:
We tried to give people a roller coaster ride in the theater. It’s like a real experience, a visual experience. You feel like you’re 200 feet up in the air, hopefully you feel like you’re there with them and that danger’s there and it all feels real.
While it’s become customary for directors to urge fans to go and watch their films in theaters, Ball does make a compelling case. The Planet of the Apes films have always had stellar CG, and getting to see them in the highest possible resolution will undoubtedly be a treat. “We took a lot of that technology and kind of pushed it forward into this movie,” Ball added. “It’s pretty stunning.”
Kingdom will eventually be released on Hulu
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes may not be streaming immediately, but it will eventually land on Hulu and Disney Plus. This is the standard rollout for 20th Century Fox/Disney films released in the last few years. There isn’t an exact release date for Kingdom in terms of when it will stream, as it generally operates on a case-by-case basis. If a blockbuster film is doing great at the box office, then it will be in theaters longer. If ticket sales diminish, it will be sent to stream sooner.
Based on the success of previous Apes films, it’s likely that Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will land on streaming sometime around September. That’s assuming positive word of mouth remains and the audience goodwill from the previous installments rolls over. It’s an admittedly long wait for those who like to watch blockbusters at home, but the good news is that the other Apes films are readily available to stream.
The nine Planet of the Apes films leading up to Kingdom, including the 1968 original, are currently available to stream on Hulu. They are also available on Starz, and the most recent installments, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) and War for the Planet of the Apes, are streaming on Max.