Watch Every 'Planet of the Apes' Movie in the Perfect Order

Working out the best order to watch all of the Planet of the Apes movies can be confusing due to the number of entries in the franchise and its exploration of concepts such as time travel and alternate timelines. This guide aims to make it as easy as possible for casual and passionate fans to both understand how the canon works and how to watch Planet of the Apes in order of release, chronologically, and as a first-time viewer.

All ‘Planet of the Apes’ Movies in Order of Release

Here’s a complete list of every Planet of the Apes movie including the original Planet of the Apes movies, the one-off 2001 film directed by Tim Burton (1989's Batman), and the modern Planet of the Apes films. We also cover the live-action Planet of the Apes TV series and the animated series.

The 'Planet of the Apes' Chronological Order

The Planet of the Apes franchise has one of the most hotly debated timelines amongst fans due to inconsistencies in its lore and contradictory statements made by some of its filmmakers who will describe their entry as a reboot in one interview and then say it’s officially connected to other films in another.

In general, it’s best to approach Planet of the Apes with equal respect for its narrative and a willingness to partake in some mental gymnastics or even fan theories to help everything fit into place. For example, while the broad strokes of the canon are generally solid, it’s best to just ignore the Icarus’ chronometer reading 3878 or 3955 depending on the film and character.

The best explanation for inconsistencies in lore is that the original films (1968-1973) and the newer series, which started in 2011, are completely different franchises with their own continuity. With that in mind, here are the chronological orders of each.

'Planet of the Apes' Chronology (1968-1973)

The original Planet of the Apes movies include time travel, which makes them kind of tough to follow. It also means that to stay truly chronological, you start halfway through the series.

'Planet of the Apes' Chronology (2010-)

The newer series completely resets the continuity. In this timeline, Caesar is the son of a laboratory chimpanzee instead of the child of two super-genius ape folk from the future.

These events still pre-date the original Heston movie, but they still don't quite fit into that timeline.

Alternate Watch Order for First-Time 'Planet of the Apes' Viewers

One interesting way to watch Planet of the Apes for those who are completely new to the series is to start with the original 1968 Planet of the Apes movie and then jump back to the modern prequels and watch them in chronological order starting with Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Once you’re done with the prequels, you can rewatch the original movie again or dive right into Beneath the Planet of the Apes and the time-traveling shenanigans of Escape, Conquest, and Battle.

This viewing order first introduces you to the post-apocalyptic future where apes rule the planet and humans live in the wild as primitives and then lets you see how this future came to be in the prequels. It’s highly recommended to watch the 1968 original first as, if you don’t do this, you won’t understand what’s at stake while watching the prequels.

Another benefit of this viewing order is that it covers all of the grounded scientific Planet of the Apes movies first and leaves the entries with the more fantastical and retro sci-fi elements, such as telepaths, time travel, and ape slaves, until last. This is ideal if you’re planning to marathon Planet of the Apes with someone who prefers drama and action over science fiction.

How Many 'Planet of the Apes' Movies Are There?

As of 2024, there are 10 Planet of the Apes movies with at least two more in the early stages of development as part of the modern series. A potential third Planet of the Apes prequel trilogy has also been discussed, but this is a long way off as the second prequel trilogy isn’t even finished yet.

Here are all of the various groups of movies in the Planet of the Apes series.

• The five original Planet of the Apes movies.
• One stand-alone Tim Burton Planet of the Apes movie.
• One complete, modern trilogy of Planet of the Apes films. 
• A second Planet of the Apes trilogy with one film completed, (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes), and two more in development.
• A potential third Planet of the Apes trilogy set after the second trilogy and closer to the events of the original movie.

Are the First 'Planet of the Apes' Movies Worth Watching?

The classic Planet of the Apes movies are definitely worth watching for those with an interest in film history and science fiction in general. All five films boast intelligent and thought-provoking explorations of themes such as animal rights, oppression, religion, politics, war, and civil rights. There are also several incredibly strong performances throughout with Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Linda Harrison, Charlton Heston, and James Franciscus being standouts.

Of course, the finale of the first Planet of the Apes is one of the most famous movie endings of all time which makes it a must-watch. While admittedly less famous, the ending to the first sequel, Beneath the Planet of the Apes, is one of the most shocking sci-fi movie endings ever and is highly recommended viewing, especially if you haven’t had it spoiled for you yet. It even gives Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back's ending a run for its money.

Is the 'Planet of the Apes' TV Series Worth Watching?

The Planet of the Apes TV series is fun viewing for super fans of the franchise and fans of retro sci-fi in general but it doesn’t hold much appeal for casual viewers. Also, while the TV series is heavily inspired by the films and even features franchise regular Roddy McDowall in a new role, its numerous significant changes to the canon, such as talking humans and the presence of dogs, heavily imply that it’s in its own continuity completely separate from the films.

What Are the ‘Planet of the Apes’ TV Movies About?

The Planet of the Apes TV movies were simply the repackaging of several episodes of the series for rebroadcast on TV in 1980. Each film consisted of two TV episodes edited together and bookended with new footage of Roddy McDowall reprising his role of Galen, his character from the series.

Here are the titles of the five television movies.

• Back to the Planet of the Apes
• Forgotten City of the Planet of the Apes
• Treachery and Greed on the Planet of the Apes
• Life, Liberty, and Pursuit on the Planet of the Apes
• Farewell to the Planet of the Apes

None of the Planet of the Apes TV movies, or even their original openings and closings, have been released on home media.