The Planet of the Apes saga has 4 released films, 8 hrs 43 in total, spread from 2011 to 2024. That count covers the new saga only: with the five original films (1968-1973) and the 2001 remake, the WatchTrail checklist has ten.
The full checklist: Planet of the Apes, movies and shows, in release and chronological orderThat comes to 5 evenings of two hours — the median film runs 136 minutes, so an evening swallows one, rarely two.
In release order
- 2011 — Rise of the Planet of the Apes — 1 hr 45
- 2014 — Dawn of the Planet of the Apes — 2 hrs 11
- 2017 — War for the Planet of the Apes — 2 hrs 22
- 2024 — Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes — 2 hrs 25
The chronological order is the same: the saga was shot in the order it tells itself. That is the simplest possible answer to the question, and it beats a manufactured debate.
Which order should you pick?
Nothing to arbitrate: this is a very readable saga. Four films, each a direct sequel to the last, no prequel, no reboot. The only useful warning: this total covers only the modern reboot, begun in 2011. The original run, started in 1968, is a different object — different cast, different tone, and a continuity that never joins this one. The two do not mix: the WatchTrail checklist keeps them in two separate sections, the original saga then the new one, with the 2001 remake as optional.
Is Planet of the Apes worth the marathon?
Eight hours forty for four films, five evenings. It is one of the rare modern sagas to have improved film after film rather than the reverse: the second beats the first, the third closes the trilogy cleanly. Thirteen years of production for a story that holds — that is almost an exception.
Who it is for
Save it for anyone who wants a short, coherent saga with no reboot or contradictory continuity. For anyone who accepts five evenings and a tone far graver than the subject suggests. If you want light spectacle, this is not it: the trilogy is dark and mostly about loss.
FAQ
What order should I watch Planet of the Apes in? Release order: each film directly follows the last.
How many hours does that come to? 8 hrs 43 for four films, five evenings of two hours.
What about the 1968 run? A different set with a different continuity: this total does not cover it.
Last updated: September 26, 2026 — TMDB data verified.