New 'Planet of the Apes' film directed by 'Fantastic Four: First Steps' helmer

Director Matt Shakman is transitioning from Marvel’s timeline saga to “The Planet of the Apes,” as he prepares to lead a new installment in the science fiction series for 20th Century Studios.

Shakman directed last year’s “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” under Disney’s superhero banner, and is teaming up with writer Josh Friedman to dive back into the iconic world of intelligent apes taking a stand against oppressive humans.

Friedman crafted the stories for both “First Steps” and “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” the latter being the most recent film from 20th, grossing nearly $400 million globally with a $160 million budget.

In this new movie, Shakman will serve as producer, with Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver. Scott Aversano is supervising for the studio.

Across 15 years, the modern “Apes” series has generated over $2 billion at worldwide box offices.

Shakman also guided Marvel’s popular debut streaming series, “WandaVision.” He has directed opening episodes for “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters,” “The Consultant,” and “Welcome to Chippendales.” Shakman also helmed the first episode of “The Great” featuring Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult.

His other notable projects include “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” “Succession,” and “Game of Thrones.”

Additionally, he worked on the pilot and finale of the upcoming Siegfried & Roy series “Wild Things,” with Jude Law and Andrew Garfield. Shakman is represented by Untitled Entertainment and CAA.

Friedman is a seasoned writer with 20th, having written for “Avatar: The Way of Water” and “Avatar: Fire and Ash.”

He is represented by UTA. Deadline initially announced the news about the “Apes” reboot.