When Does "War for the Planet of the Apes" (2017) Take Place?
"War for the Planet of the Apes" is a science fiction film written by Mark Bomback with Matt Reeves [loosely remaking "Battle for the Planet of the Apes" (1973) by Paul Dehn with John William Corrington and Joyce Hooper Corrington] and released July 14th, 2017.
It takes place on an alternate timeline of the fictional Planet of the Apes universe in the year:
We know this because an opening title card over woodland footage tells the audience "Evading capture for the last two years, Caesar is now...", presumably referring to a duration since the final events of the previous film, "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" (2014), which takes place entirely in 2026 AD.
2028 AD
We know this because an opening title card over woodland footage tells the audience "Evading capture for the last two years, Caesar is now...", presumably referring to a duration since the final events of the previous film, "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" (2014), which takes place entirely in 2026 AD.
2026 + 2 = 2028.
[HOWEVER, the opening title card also declares, "Fifteen years ago, a scientific experiment gone wrong gave RISE", referring to either the early experimental use of a drug called the ALZ-112 or the later experimental use of its successor drug ALZ-113 in "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" (2011), which take place in 2008 AD and 2016 AD, respectively. Unfortunately, the first of these reference-point years makes absolutely no sense with this statement as it would take place before the previous film with its events referenced as clearly being in the past and it must be taken as a production mistake.
[HOWEVER, the opening title card also declares, "Fifteen years ago, a scientific experiment gone wrong gave RISE", referring to either the early experimental use of a drug called the ALZ-112 or the later experimental use of its successor drug ALZ-113 in "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" (2011), which take place in 2008 AD and 2016 AD, respectively. Unfortunately, the first of these reference-point years makes absolutely no sense with this statement as it would take place before the previous film with its events referenced as clearly being in the past and it must be taken as a production mistake.
2008 + 15 = 2023
The second possibly referenced year (2016 AD) is possible and would place this narrative in 2031 AD but much less likely based on the ages of all the returning characters. It, too, is probably a production mistake.
2016 + 15 = 2031.]
The Planet of the Apes Wiki has an examination of the exact setting of the reboot trilogy and its connection to the original five PoTA films.
It is the chronologically third film in the "Planet of the Apes" reboot trilogy, it can be watched at its timeline point, before or after the first film adaptation, "Planet of the Apes" (1968), or before or after the second film adaptation, "Planet of the Apes" (2001) along with "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" (2011). [Expanded elements enrich the experience: it can be watched after reading "War for the Planet of the Apes: Revelations" (2017).]
