Updated: July 27, 2024

In 1968's classic and influential sci-fi film, Planet of the Apes ( based on French author Pierre Boulle's 1963 novel ), spawned a franchise that dominated the first half of the '70s with four more movie sequels, tie-in books, a live-action TV series, and even an animated. This global conflict pitting humans against intelligent humanoid apes thrilled the imagination while also touching on social issues like racism, animal cruelty, and the Cold War. It makes for some of the best sci-fi movies of all time.

It would take three decades before a reboot landed in our laps, but Tim Burton's 2001 reworking of the original movie wasn't enough to revitalize the dormant franchise. It wouldn't be until 2011's reboot prequel, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, that 20th Century Fox would find success once again, this time with a full new trilogy - and an actual fourth in the series, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, arriving this week.

Now is it possible to take a full chronological journey? Not exactly, but we can do our best. This unsettling saga, one where humans find themselves supplanted by a fast-evolving new species and struggling with subservience and subjugation, is worth the watch, so let's look at how to catch the Planet of the Apes films in order.