How to Watch the Planet of the Apes Movies in Order

The Planet of the Apes franchise is nine films strong, with another on the way. Keeping track of all these entries is enough to drive anyone bananas, so here’s how to watch the Planet of the Apes movies in order.

How to Watch the Planet of the Apes Movies in Release Order

If you aren’t bothered by continuity, the most straightforward way to watch the Apes flicks is to barrel through them all in release order. Will you quickly get lost amid all the time travel and narrative do-overs? Almost certainly. But is it simpler than figuring out what to watch and when? Absolutely.

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So, if the release order’s the one for you, here’s how it shakes out:

1. Planet of the Apes (1968)
2. Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970)
3. Escape From the Planet of the Apes (1971)
4. Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)
5. Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973)
6. Planet of the Apes (2001)
7. Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
8. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
9. War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)
10. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)

How to Watch the Planet of the Apes Movies in Chronological Order

By contrast, watching Planet of the Apes in chronological order gets messy, fast. You’re dealing with three separate iterations of the franchise – two of which involve time travel. What’s more, the Apes series has a proud tradition of generic, easy-to-confuse titles, which muddies the waters even further.

On the plus side, one branch of the Planet of the Apes canon flows linearly, and you can even outright ignore another branch entirely if you want! So, if you’re still game to tackle the franchise in chronological order, here’s how it breaks down:

The Original Movies

The first four Planet of the Apes movies’ chronological order theoretically matches their release order. Certainly, the narrative of each successive sequel to the 1968 original – which is set in the far-flung future – builds on that of its predecessors. But things get complicated once you hit the third installment, Escape From the Planet of the Apes.

That film kicks off after the second installment, Beneath the Planet of the Apes, however, its protagonists soon travel back in time to 1973. The fourth film, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, picks up 18 years later, in 1991. The final OG entry, Battle for the Planet of the Apes, leaps forward several more decades and also includes bookend scenes set in 2670.

Related: The Planet of the Apes Prequels Were the Last Great Movie Trilogy

As such, there are two different chronological orders for the original Apes movies. If you want to follow the chronology as experienced by the characters themselves, go with this one:

1. Planet of the Apes (1968)
2. Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970)
3. Escape From the Planet of the Apes (1971)
4. Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)
5. Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973)

Otherwise, here’s the chronology ordered by in-universe date:

1. Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970)
2. Escape From the Planet of the Apes (1971)
3. Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)
4. Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973)
5. Planet of the Apes (1968)

Please note: We don’t recommend the latter watch order for franchise first-timers.

The Tim Burton Remake

Tim Burton’s 2001 Planet of the Apes remake is the odd one out among the wider franchise. It’s not connected to the movies that came before or after it and has no sequels of its own, so it exists in its own little continuity bubble.

The upshot of this is that you can watch it whenever you like or skip it altogether. And considering Burton’s picture ends on a massive, never-to-be-resolved cliffhanger, we don’t blame you if you pass!

The Rebooted Movies

The easiest – and most canonical consistent – batch of Apes movies, the rebooted series plays out in the following linear, easy-to-follow fashion (no time travel here, folks!):

1. Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
2. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
3. War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)
4. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)

And that’s how you watch the Planet of the Apes movies in order.