Maurice won’t be part of the story in ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ because the filmmakers decided to focus on different characters and plotlines.
While Maurice (voiced by Karin Konoval) was a beloved character in previous films, they seem to have explored new avenues in this installment.
Highlights
- Owen Teague, who portrays Noa, emphasizes that his character has no knowledge of Caesar,and his large time caccomplice, Maurice.
- aurice was crucial character in the Ape Rebellion, where he freed apes from human control.
- Though Maurice isn’t in the kingdom of the planet of apes, the new character, Noa won’t overlap the past memoirs of apes and their history.
“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” is a sci-fi action flick directed by Wes Ball and penned by Josh Friedman.
It follows “War for the Planet of the Apes,” released in 2017, and serves as a standalone sequel in the reboot franchise.
The movie features Owen Teague in the lead, alongside Freya Allan, Kevin Durand, Peter Macon, and William H. Macy.
“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” will be distributed by 20th Century Studios and hit theaters in the United States on May 10, 2024.
The Backdrop Of “The Kingdom Of Planet Of Apes” Is Set After Caesar’s Demise
Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes
New takes on Noa against King Ape
Genres
Action Fantasy Drama| Released Date | May 10, 2024 |
| Casts | Freya Allan Kevin Durand Dichen Lachman |
| Directors | Wes Ball |
| Writers | Josh Friedman Rick Jaffa Amanda Silver |
“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” takes a big leap forward from the events of “War for the Planet of the Apes,” set roughly 300 years later.
However, his legacy and the idea of “apes together strong” still resonate with the story through a new young ape hero named Noa.
Owen Teague, who portrays Noa, emphasizes that his character has no knowledge of Caesar, highlighting the passage of time and the evolution of ape society.
It is unlikely that Noa would have known Maurice either.
In the previous films, Maurice served as a teacher, council member, and close advisor to Caesar, but his impact may have faded into history by the time of Noa’s story.
Also, the new franchise introduces King Ape, also known as Proximus Caesar, played by Kevin Durand, as a much smarter and stronger descendant of Steve Zahn’s character, Bad Ape, from “War for the Planet of the Apes.”
Proximus adopted the name Caesar, symbolizing the highest position in ape society. Caesar was revered almost like a religious figure.
Ultimately, the director decides whether to include an intelligent ape character like Maurice to support Noa.
After all, Maurice was instrumental in the Ape Rebellion, helping free apes from human control.
He then taught and guided the San Francisco Ape Colony and played a vital role in stopping Colonel McCullough’s plans to harm apes.
So, “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” will pick up after the events of the “Caesar Trilogy.”
However, it will be a fresh start, independent from the other two flicks, with new characters and a different focus. This time, favorites like Caesar, Koba, Cornelia, Maurice, Rocket, and Nova won’t appear.
Noa Could Be Related To Maurice In Some Way
Noa, a young chimpanzee hunter living almost 300 years after Caesar’s era, will likely carry on his legacy somehow.
The director’s clarification that Noa isn’t related to Caesar suggests that the character’s lineage diverges from the established lineage of the previous protagonist.
However, the theory from Reddit suggests that orangutans can only give birth to offspring of their own species.
This implies that Noa’s family lineage could intersect with Maurice’s forefathers, who lived 300 years ago.
Even though Maurice won’t be in the movie, Noa could still fill that void by bringing a fresh perspective and new dynamics to the story.
Additional Information
- Principal photography for the film commenced in October 2022 at Disney Studios Australia in Sydney. The Australian Government partially funded the project under the working title “Forbidden Zone.”
- Erik Winquist was the film’s visual effects supervisor. Vendors involved in the visual effects included Wētā FX, known for their work on the previous three Planet of the Apes reboot films.
