Planet of the apes stars on Hanuman influence

The '

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

', the latest chapter in the global epic franchise set in a future where apes reign supreme, while humanity dwells in the shadows. In this saga,

Kevin Durand

portrays the tyrannical ape leader

Proximus Caesar

, whose relentless pursuit to establish ape dominance faces an unexpected challenge when a young ape, aided by

Peter Macon

's character Raka, begins to question the past, challenging the very foundations of their society.

Ahead of the film's release, ETimes sat down with Kevin Durand and Peter Macon, to delve into the intricate layers of their characters and the profound themes explored in the film.
In this chapter, set several generations in the future following Caesar’s reign, Kevin plays the role of Proximus Caesar, a crowned king, obsessed with human history. When posed with a hypothetical scenario of Proximus drawing inspiration from

Hindu mythology

instead of human history, Macon weighed in on the possibility of the character assuming the role of a God, and how that role would play out for him. "I'm gonna say not well, that's what I'm gonna say," Macon said.
Durand approached the possibility by giving a peek into his character's mind and revealed, "Proximus is very well educated about the history of humanity. He has seen the rise and fall, the successes and the failures of humanity. He understands human nature from the beginning. How humanity killed all the flora and fauna and have been killing each other for so long that he kind of feels like humans have had their shot. He thinks that leading apedom into the future is the way things have to go and he thinks he can do better."

Reflecting on his character's relentless pursuit of power and his darker side, he shared that it aligns more closely with the archetype of a tyrant king rather than a divine figure like Hanuman. He quips, "He's a bit of a narcissist."
Elaborating further, he shares, "I don't know how he would adapt to Hinduism because he has a very extreme way of thinking and he thinks he has to get things done by any means necessary. Not from the perspective of a villain, but from the perspective of a passionate ape who really truly does not want to end up in a cage."
Directed by

Wes Ball

and featuring an ensemble cast including Owen Teague,

Freya Allan

, William H. Macy, Travis Jeffery, and Lydia Peckham, 'Kingdom of the

Planet of the Apes

' promises to be a fitting new addition to the 'Planet of the Apes' saga. The film releases in theatres across India on 10th May 2024, in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu.