The best Planet of the Apes viewing order for most people is release order: watch the five original films, treat the 2001 movie as a standalone reimagining, then move through the reboot from Rise to Kingdom. If ten films feel like too much, start with the four-film reboot. It is the cleanest beginner path and needs no homework.
Quick answer: which order should you choose?
Complete franchise: 1968 to 1973 originals, 2001 standalone, then the 2011 to 2024 reboot.
Best for beginners: Rise, Dawn, War, Kingdom.
Classic-only route: Planet, Beneath, Escape, Conquest, Battle.
Chronology experiment: Escape, Conquest, Battle, Planet, Beneath. This is not ideal for a first watch because Escape begins after Beneath before travelling into the past.
Planet of the Apes movies in release order
Release order protects the reveals and lets each film answer the one before it. It also keeps the three screen continuities separate: the original five-film saga, the 2001 standalone movie and the modern reboot.
| # | Movie | Year | Continuity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Planet of the Apes | 1968 | Original continuity, film 1 |
| 2 | Beneath the Planet of the Apes | 1970 | Original continuity, film 2 |
| 3 | Escape from the Planet of the Apes | 1971 | Original continuity, film 3 |
| 4 | Conquest of the Planet of the Apes | 1972 | Original continuity, film 4 |
| 5 | Battle for the Planet of the Apes | 1973 | Original continuity, film 5 |
| 6 | Planet of the Apes | 2001 | Standalone reimagining |
| 7 | Rise of the Planet of the Apes | 2011 | Reboot continuity, film 1 |
| 8 | Dawn of the Planet of the Apes | 2014 | Reboot continuity, film 2 |
| 9 | War for the Planet of the Apes | 2017 | Reboot continuity, film 3 |
| 10 | Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes | 2024 | Reboot continuity, film 4 |
The changing timelines are part of the fun. If you like puzzle-box chronology, our guide to time-travel movies that are easy to follow offers more stories built around clean temporal rules. For broader genre picks, try these mind-bending sci-fi movies.
The complete release-order guide
1. Planet of the Apes (1968)
Original continuity, film 1
This is the essential starting point for the classic series. Astronaut George Taylor reaches a world where intelligent apes dominate and humans have lost their place at the top. Its central mystery, social satire and unforgettable final revelation establish the ideas that every later Apes era revisits in a different way.
2. Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970)
Original continuity, film 2
A second astronaut follows Taylor’s path and discovers another layer of the ruined world, including a hidden human society beneath it. The sequel pushes the original film’s nuclear anxiety much harder and ends in a way that appears impossible to continue.
3. Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971)
Original continuity, film 3
The saga flips direction when Zira and Cornelius travel to the human past. What begins with culture-clash comedy steadily turns into a darker story about fear, prejudice and whether knowledge of the future can create the very future people are trying to prevent.
4. Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)
Original continuity, film 4
Caesar, the son of Zira and Cornelius, comes of age in a society that has turned apes into servants. His rise turns the series from warning into revolution, while directly developing the consequences introduced in Escape.
5. Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973)
Original continuity, film 5
Caesar tries to build a community where apes and humans can live together after devastating conflict. External enemies and division among the apes test that goal, giving the original series an ending that is more reflective than the title suggests.
6. Planet of the Apes (2001)
Standalone reimagining
Tim Burton’s film follows astronaut Leo Davidson into a world where apes rule and humans are enslaved. It borrows the broad reversal at the heart of the franchise but tells its own story with a different cast, mythology and ending.
7. Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
Reboot continuity, film 1
The reboot begins with Caesar, a chimpanzee whose enhanced intelligence grows from a human scientific experiment. His bond with Will Rodman and his treatment by humans turn an origin story into an uprising with intimate stakes.
8. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
Reboot continuity, film 2
Years after Rise, Caesar leads a growing ape community while human survivors try to rebuild. Both sides contain people who want peace and people who expect betrayal, making the conflict tragic rather than simple.
9. War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)
Reboot continuity, film 3
Caesar’s struggle with a human military leader brings his personal arc to its most severe test. Despite the title, the film is as interested in grief, mercy and the cost of leadership as it is in open conflict.
10. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)
Reboot continuity, film 4
Set several generations after Caesar’s era, Kingdom follows Noa as different ape societies interpret and reshape Caesar’s legacy. His journey with the human Mae opens a new chapter without erasing the consequences of the preceding trilogy.
How the original Planet of the Apes continuity works
The original continuity is five films: Planet of the Apes, Beneath, Escape, Conquest and Battle. The first two move forward from Taylor’s arrival. Escape then sends Zira and Cornelius into the human past, and the final two films follow Caesar as ape and human history changes around him.
That structure creates a loop, so there is no perfectly clean chronological watch that preserves every scene. A calendar-style experiment would be Escape, Conquest, Battle, Planet, Beneath, but Escape opens after the events of Beneath. First-time viewers should stay with release order.
Is Planet of the Apes (2001) connected to the other films?
No direct continuation is required on either side of the 2001 film. It is a separate reimagining starring Mark Wahlberg as astronaut Leo Davidson, with its own ape society and its own ending. The later Rise of the Planet of the Apes begins a different reboot continuity rather than following the 2001 story.
Think of the 2001 film as an optional alternate take. Place it between the classic and reboot runs if you want to see how the franchise changed across eras, or save it for after the two main sagas.
How the reboot continuity works
The reboot order is simple: Rise, Dawn, War, then Kingdom. The first three form Caesar’s connected arc. Kingdom remains in that continuity but moves several generations ahead and follows Noa, Mae and competing interpretations of Caesar’s legacy.
This four-film route delivers the clearest emotional throughline and the most modern filmmaking. After that, go back to the 1968 original and continue in release order. The older films reveal how much of the reboot’s DNA comes from ideas the franchise explored decades earlier.
If you enjoy comparing reboots and connected screen universes, our Jack Ryan watch-order guide uses a similar continuity-first approach.
Can you skip any Planet of the Apes movies?
You can skip the 2001 film without losing anything from the original or reboot stories. The original sequels are more uneven, but each adds a crucial piece to the loop, especially Escape and Conquest. In the reboot, all four films belong to one continuing history, so skipping an entry weakens Caesar’s arc or the setup for the world inherited by Noa.
Final recommendation
Newcomers should begin with Rise, Dawn, War and Kingdom. Viewers who want the complete experience should use release order across all ten films. Save chronology order for a rewatch, when the classic saga’s loop becomes something to examine rather than a chain of spoilers.
Planet of the Apes viewing-order FAQ
What is the best order to watch the Planet of the Apes movies?
Release order is best for the full franchise. Watch the five original films, then the standalone 2001 movie, followed by Rise, Dawn, War and Kingdom.
Should beginners start with the 1968 movie or Rise?
Rise of the Planet of the Apes is the easiest modern starting point. Begin with the 1968 film if you prefer classic science fiction and want to experience the franchise’s defining reveal before its later variations.
Is the 2001 Planet of the Apes movie part of the reboot timeline?
No. The 2001 film is a standalone reimagining. Rise of the Planet of the Apes starts a separate reboot continuity in 2011.
Does Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes continue Caesar’s story?
Kingdom continues the reboot continuity several generations after Caesar’s era. It follows new characters while exploring how later ape societies remember and reshape Caesar’s legacy.
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