how to watch planet of the apes in order

To watch all the Planet of the Apes movies in order, you can either follow release order (classic way) or story-chronological order (timeline way). Both work well, but they create slightly different “arcs” and payoffs.

Release order (classic marathon)

This is the most common way fans recommend, because you experience the franchise evolving across decades and reboots.

Original 5-film series (1968–1973)

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)

Standalone reboot
6. Planet of the Apes (2001) – Tim Burton’s alternate-timeline remake, not directly connected to either the original series or the modern trilogy.

Modern Caesar trilogy + follow‑up
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)

Many forum fans suggest starting with the 1968 original, then deciding whether to continue the classic run or jump ahead to Rise if the vintage style isn’t for you.

Story-chronological order (timeline way)

If you want the in‑universe timeline from the rise of intelligent apes onward, you focus on the modern trilogy first, then move into the classic future.

Main recommended chronological path

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) – set generations after Caesar, in an ape‑dominated world.

5. Planet of the Apes (1968)

6. Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970)

7. Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971)

8. Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)

9. Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973)

Some detailed timeline‑obsessed fans even suggest starting the classic run with Escape , then Conquest , Battle , and only then watching Planet (1968) and Beneath , to emphasize the time‑loop paradox.

Release vs chronological at a glance

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Approach	Order basis	Best for	Typical recommendation
Release order	Real-world release dates 1968–2024	Seeing how the franchise and effects evolved over time	Start with 1968, move forward; watch 2001 as optional side‑trip
Chronological	In‑universe story timeline, from Caesar onward	Following the apes’ rise and human fall as one long saga	Watch modern films (Rise → Kingdom), then classic future films

Where to watch & quick tips

• A recent overview notes that all nine pre‑ Kingdom films have been available together on Hulu at various times, though availability can shift with licensing.

• The 2001 Planet of the Apes is safe to treat as a bonus “what if” viewing; several guides and fan threads treat it as non‑essential for a clean marathon.

• If you mainly care about the most acclaimed run, focus on the Caesar films (Rise , Dawn , War) plus Kingdom , which modern guides highlight as the core contemporary arc.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.