ThePlanet of the Apesfranchise is back in the Oscars conversation thanks toKingdom of the Planet of the Apes, and the 2024 release could finally be how the series makes history.Kingdom of the Planet of the Apescontinued the modern reinvention of the classic sci-fi series by extending the continuity from the trilogy starring Andy Serkis' Caesar. The movie was a massive success, earning $397 million at the box office and an 80% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. The appreciation for the VFX-heavy film includedKingdom of the Planet of the Apesearning an Oscar nomination.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apesis one of five movies nominated for Best Visual Effects, joiningDune: Part Two,Wicked,Alien: Romulus, andBetter Man. It’s inclusion makes sense, considering the work done to bring the CGI characters to life, but it is not the onlyOscar-nominated movie with CGI monkeys. There is certainly support for the film to recognize the work done by official nominees Erik Winquist, Stephen Unterfranz, Paul Story, and Rodney Burke, as well as the countless other VFX artists involved. But, this would requireKingdom of the Planet of the Apesmaking Oscars history.
The Planet Of The Apes Movies Have Never Won An Oscar
But It’s Been Nominated Many Times
Even though thePlanet of the Apesfranchise has a storied history in Hollywood, the movies have never been properly recognized by the Academy Awards. NoPlanet of the Apesmovie has ever won an official Oscar during the 66 years it could have.The original 1968 film did receive an Academy Honorary Award, as John Chambers was recognized"for his outstanding makeup achievement.“That honorary Oscar is the only time the franchise has found Oscar success. But, it does not officially count as an Oscar win since it is not in one of the regular categories.
Planet of the Apes' Oscar failure is not for a lack of trying either.The 1968 film had two proper Oscar nominations in Costume Design and Original Score, but it lost both. None of the original sequels got an Oscar nomination, and neither did Tim Burton’sPlanet of the Apes. The Academy waited untilRise of the Planet of the Apesto recognize the franchise again, giving it a Best Visual Effects Oscar nomination.Dawn of the Planet of the ApesandWar for the Planet of the Apeswere nominated in the same category.
Planet of the Apes(1968)
Rise of the Planet of the Apes(2011)
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes(2014)
War for the Planet of the Apes(2017)
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes(2024)
Best Visual Effects
N/A
It’s understandable in many of these cases that thePlanet of the Apesmovie did not win the Oscar based on the quality of work done elsewhere. Still,it is unbelievable that a franchise that has been so instrumental to VFX development over the years was never properly rewarded. And that doesn’t even account for the constant oversight of Andy Serkis' performance as Caesar.
Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes Builds On The Franchise’s Incredible VFX Work
The Franchise Remains A Pillar For Great VFX Work
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apesis another example of how great the franchise’s VFX work is overall. The movie masterfully builds on the work done by Matt Reeves and Andy Serkis to push motion capture and performance capture technology to new heights. Everything done in the previous trilogy is back and taken to new lengths.All the subtle facial expressions of the actors can be seen in the final CGI renderings of the apes, and the realism brought to their appearance and the world overall never ceases to impress.
In many ways,Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' VFX is taken for granted. The movie is built around characters who are primarily CGI creatures. If audiences did not buy how they looked, the entire film would fall apart. Watching the"Raw Cut” ofKingdom of the Planet of the Apes, which shows the no CGI version of the film and what was shot practically, brings an even greater appreciation to the final product. Seeing how much is created using CGI, including some details you wouldn’t expect, shows how incredible the VFX work is in the movie.
One VFX expert praisedKingdom of the Planet of the Apesby saying one moment was"the best visual effects shot I’ve ever seen in my entire life."
The film’s CGI has stunned the VFX field too. OneVFX expert praisedKingdom of the Planet of the Apesby saying one moment was"the best visual effects shot I’ve ever seen in my entire life.“These same experts even said the movie is thebest of the 2025 Oscar Best Visual Effects nominees,“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes sets the bar so goddamn high that none of the other movies can really fairly compare.“If that doesn’t proveKingdom of the Planet of the Apesis worthy of being an Oscar winner, nothing will.
Will Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes Win The Best VFX Oscar?
It Has Stiff Competition To Make History
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apescan make history as the firstPlanet of the Apesmovie to win an Oscar, but whether that happens is uncertain. However, it is not the consensus pick to win.Most prognosticators point toDune: Part Twowinning Best Visual Effects. The first movie in Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi franchise won the category a few years ago. That gives it a leg up onKingdom of the Planet of the Apes, especially sinceDune: Part Twoalso has a Best Picture nomination and is positioned to do well in several technical categories.
The roadmap toKingdom of the Planet of the Apeswinning the Best Visual Effects Oscar would require voters to have some level ofDunefatigue. That would still leave the tenthPlanet of the Apesmovie in a spot where it would need to beat outAlien: Romulus,Wicked, andBetter Man. Of those three remaining films,Wickedis the only one to have more nominations beyond the VFX category. The larger issue is thatKingdom of the Planet of the Apeshasn’t won much of any awards, so its Oscars chances are unfortunately slim.
