Matt Shakman is officially trading the Marvel “Sacred Timeline” for a world where humanity is firmly at the bottom of the food chain. 20th Century Studios has tapped the director to shepherd the next installment of the Planet of the Apes franchise.
A ‘Fantastic’ Reunion
Shakman isn’t making the jump to the forbidden zone alone. He is reuniting with screenwriter Josh Friedman. Friedman penned both Shakman’s Fantastic Four: First Steps and the previous simian hit, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.
Friedman has become the franchise’s secret weapon. Kingdom swung through the box office to a tune of $400 million on a $160 million budget. With this duo at the helm, the studio is clearly looking to maintain the momentum of a series that has grossed over $2 billion globally across the last 15 years.
The Pedigree of a Showrunner
While plot details are currently being kept in a high-security enclosure, Shakman’s track record suggests a blend of high-concept sci-fi and deeply human (or primate) emotion. He directed the reality-warping WandaVision and the upcoming Fantastic Four: First Steps. He also helmed the pilot for “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters,” proving he knows how to handle scale.
With Shakman’s eye for visual storytelling and Friedman’s experience in the lore, the next chapter is poised to be more than just another sequel—it’s an evolution.
The production team is also impressive. Shakman will produce alongside franchise veterans Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, with Scott Aversano overseeing for the studio.
Why the Apes Are Winning
The Apes films remain a rare breed of blockbuster that manages to be both critically acclaimed and commercially bulletproof. By leaning into the gritty “rise and fall” of civilization, the series has moved past the “talking monkey” gimmick. It has become a legitimate Southern Gothic-adjacent epic about power and evolution.
