The Forbidden Zone is getting crowded, and the hierarchy of the simian world is about to undergo a seismic evolution. Fresh off the blockbuster high of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, 20th Century Studios isn’t just leaning into its most resilient franchise—it’s blowing the gates off the enclosure. In a development that has sent a jolt of electricity through the industry, Matt Shakman, the architect behind the reality-warping WandaVision and the upcoming The Fantastic Four: First Steps, has been tapped to direct a brand-new, original installment in the Planet of the Apes universe.

This isn’t just another gear in the Hollywood sequel machine. According to reports from World of Reel and Gizmodo, the project is being sharpened as a standalone original story rather than a linear follow-up to Noa’s journey in Kingdom or another deep dive into the legendary lineage of Caesar. It marks a bold pivot toward an “anthology” style of storytelling, signaling that the studio views this IP as a sprawling, global canvas rather than a narrow timeline. Bringing the heat on the screenplay side is Josh Friedman, the narrative engineer who helped craft the skeleton of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes and whose pedigree includes James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water. With Shakman and Friedman at the helm, the project carries the immediate gravity of a prestige sci-fi event.

The Architect of the Apocalypse: Josh Friedman’s Simian Return

Josh Friedman’s return provides a vital connective tissue for a franchise that has successfully shed its skin and reinvented itself multiple times since 1968. Friedman proved he had the “ape” touch with Kingdom, which hit theaters on May 10, 2024, and clawed its way to a muscular $397.3 million at the global box office. That film, directed by Wes Ball, leaped three centuries beyond the death of Andy Serkis’s Caesar, introducing Owen Teague’s Noa and the terrifyingly charismatic Proximus Caesar. It was a high-stakes gamble on a post-Caesar world that paid off in spades, maintaining a “Certified Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes and proving that audiences are still addicted to the primal clash between fading humanity and a rising ape civilization.

Friedman’s involvement ensures the thematic soul of the series remains intact. He has a rare knack for high-concept world-building, a skill honed on TNT’s Snowpiercer and the cult-favorite Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. On Reddit and X, fans are already dissecting what a Friedman-penned anthology could mean. “If Friedman is writing, you know the world-building is going to be dense and logical,” noted one fan. “He knows how to balance the spectacle with the soul.” While Wes Ball is still expected to steer the ship for Noa’s potential trilogy, this Shakman-led project appears to be a separate, parallel priority for 20th Century Studios president Steve Asbell, who has been vocal about aggressively expanding the studio’s legacy brands into new territories.

The Shakman Factor: From Westview to the Ape Revolution

Matt Shakman is the wild card that makes this project fascinating. Currently one of the busiest directors in the prestige blockbuster space, Shakman is deep in the trenches of Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps, eyeing a July 25, 2025 release. His work on WandaVision was a masterclass in blending genre-bending visuals with gut-wrenching character beats—precisely the ingredients required to make a Planet of the Apes film resonate. Before his MCU ascent, Shakman was forging steel in the fires of Game of Thrones, directing the jaw-dropping “The Spoils of War,” which featured some of the most complex, dragon-fueled choreography in television history. That mastery over massive digital assets and kinetic action will be essential when collaborating with the wizards at Wētā FX.

Shakman’s roots in theater and television give him a surgical eye for ensemble chemistry. In a franchise where the leads are often obscured by layers of digital fur, the ability to extract raw, human emotion from a performance-capture suit is the secret sauce. Insiders suggest 20th Century was desperate to lock Shakman down after seeing the creative fire he brought to the Fantastic Four reboot. The studio is hunting for “big swing” directors who can inject a distinct visual vocabulary into their established worlds. Shakman fits the bill, offering a level of prestige that elevates this from a standard studio gig to an auteur-driven event.

A Multi-Generational Legacy Gets a Global Lens

The Planet of the Apes franchise remains a rare “silver age” property that refuses to buckle under the weight of modern expectations. From the 1968 classic starring Charlton Heston to the groundbreaking Matt Reeves and Rupert Wyatt era, these films have always functioned as a Trojan Horse for heavy social commentary and philosophical questions about power, nature, and the cost of extinction. By leaning into an “original story” within this world, Shakman and Friedman have the latitude to look elsewhere. Could we see the ape uprising in London or Tokyo? Will they finally circle back to the haunting remains of the Icarus mission teased in 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes? The possibilities are as vast as the Forbidden Zone itself.

The energy coming out of the creative community is palpable. This isn’t just a maintenance move; it’s a land grab. With Disney’s massive engine behind them, 20th Century Studios is positioning Apes alongside Avatar and Alien as the pillars of their theatrical future. Kingdom proved the brand is durable enough to thrive without Caesar as the anchor, and now, with Matt Shakman entering the fray, the franchise is moving toward an era where the setting itself—a world in transition—is the star. As the simian culture continues to splinter into rival tribes and ideologies, the narrative potential is limitless.

Production timelines are still shifting, largely because Shakman is occupied with Marvel’s First Family for the next year. However, with Friedman already hammering out the script, the foundation is being poured. For fans who have followed this saga from the prosthetic-heavy sixties to the digital revolution of the 2010s, this next chapter promises a fresh vantage point on a world where humans are no longer the protagonists of history. The apes aren’t just sticking around; they are evolving into something far more ambitious.