Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes alternate ending revealed: Was Mae about to kill Noa? Explained

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes star Freya Allan, who plays Mae, recently discussed how the alternate ending of the film was supposed to play out. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the star shared details for the alternate ending, stating that it was much darker, with Mae actually wanting to shoot Noa at the end of the movie.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes ends with Noa and Mae parting ways on a good note, even though they have conflicting thoughts about the future. However, Freya Allan delved deep into why Mae had a gun during her final meeting with Noa and how that could have played out very differently:

"Let me give you an insider there. That scene was so different. Well, not so different. The main premise is still the same. Originally, you actually see her pull the gun on Noa, but his back is turned to her. And so you think, 'Oh my God, is she about to shoot him?' And Mae is crying as she's doing it, like, 'Am I about to shoot him?' And then she doesn't. The minute he mentions Raka's name, she puts the gun down."

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Freya Allan reveals the original ending for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes was re-edited

The theatrical ending for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes saw Mae thwart Proximus' plans for wanting the man-made weapons. Causing a huge explosion, she ends up killing members of Proximus' clan and also some members from the Eagle clan. When Noa heads back home to rebuild it, Mae comes by to bid him farewell.

This is where she keeps a gun on her, in case the meeting with Noa ends up going wrong, and she has to use it for self-defense. However, as per Allan's statements, it looked like the original plan was for Mae to actually kill Noa at the end of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.

She further revealed:

"In the scene that I shot, Mae was going there to kill him because he scares her. His intelligence scares her. Mae doesn't want to kill him, but she feels she has to."

She added:

"But then in the edit, they wanted it to feel more subtle, and I honestly way prefer what they've done with it. It's so much smarter and really allows you to think more. So it becomes a very emotional goodbye, one with tragic, lingering doom."

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Will there be a sequel to Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes?

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes ends with Mae heading to a human settlement at a satellite base. With her now having a key that can reactivate satellites and help the remaining humans across the planet communicate with each other, the film sets up the premise for a sequel here that will further explore their co-existence with apes.

With Noa also questioning whether apes and humans can co-exist, this looks like a theme that will be further explored going forward. Director Wes Ball has also previously stated that this is the beginning of a new trilogy. So, fans can get ready as more Planet of the Apes films are surely set to come.

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The film is currently playing in theatres right now.