Tom Power, senior entertainment reporter
After another brief hiatus due to a lack of new Disney Plus movies, it’s time to update this guide once more. This week’s addition is Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, the fourth installment in the rebooted Planet of the Apes film franchise. Unfortunately, our ‘coming soon’ section is still looking very barren as, currently, there are no other new movies set to arrive for the foreseeable future.
You never know quite what you’re going to get on the new Disney Plus movies front. Sometimes, weeks can go by without any new movies debuting on the service. On other occasions, two will drop in the same week. Thankfully, we’re leaning towards the latter category with this week’s new Disney Plus films article update. Sure, there’s only one new flick – Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes – to enjoy on one of the world’s best streaming services, but that beats the barren spell alternative.
If you’re not a fan of sci-fi action movies, you need not worry. We’ve got plenty of other highly-rated recommendations to offer you in our best Disney Plus movies article, which comprises numerous Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar flicks, as well as many underrated gems. You can thank us later.
New Disney Plus movies: August
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Release date: August 2 (available on Hulu in the US)
Runtime: 145 minutes
Age rating: PG-13 (US) / 12 (UK)
Director: Wes Ball
Cast: Owen Teague, Freya Allen, Kevin Durand, Peter Macon, and William H. Macy
Rotten Tomatoes (RT) score: 80% (critics); 78% (audiences)
Set 300 years after – spoiler – Caesar’s last hurrah in War of the Planet of the Apes, this pseudo-sequel follows Noa (Teague), a young chimp who joins forces with a human named Mae (Allen) to bring the tyrannical rein of Proximus Caesar (Durand) to an end.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes isn’t as strong (from narrative and character development perspectives) as Caesar-led, Andy Serkis-starring movie trilogy, but it’s nonetheless a thrilling watch with some fantastic mocap performances and stunning action set-piece. Read our Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes review to see more on what we thought before you stream it.
Watch Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes on Disney Plus.
New Disney Plus movies: July
Young Woman and the Sea
Release date: July 19
Runtime: 129 minutes
Age rating: PG (US) / 9-plus (UK)
Director: Joachim Ronning
Cast: Daisy Ridley, Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Stephen Graham, Kim Bodnia, Jeanette Hain, and Christopher Eccleston
RT score: 88% (critics); 98% (audiences)
One of the best new Disney Plus movies for a long time, this Ridley-starring period drama tells the remarkable story of Getrude ‘Trudy’ Ederle, who became the first woman to attempt to swim all 21 miles of the English Channel and, if successful, cement her name in the history books.
From from Young Woman and the Sea to be a dramatic flick about never giving up on your dreams, it’s also a masterfully-created and beautifully shot movie that shines a light on female empowerment and the shameful marginalization of immigrants – themes that are as relevant today as they were in 1905, i.e. when this film is set.
Watch Young Woman and the Sea on Disney Plus.
Descendants: The Rise of Red
Release date: July 12 (US only)
Runtime: 95 minutes
Age rating: G (US)
Director: Jennifer Phang
Cast: Kylie Cantrall, Malia Baker, Brandy Norwood, Rita Ora, and China Anne McClain
RT score: 50% (critics); 45% (audiences)
Helmed by Foundation directing alumnus Jennifer Phang, the fourth entry in Disney’s Descendants film franchise looks to continue the series’ long tradition of telling magical musical fantasy-fuelled tales, regardless of how well they’re received (or, in this instance, how well they aren’t).
The Rise of Red sees Cantrall star as, well, Red, the rebellious daughter of the tyrannical Queen of Hearts from Wonderland, who receives an invitation to study at the prestigious school known as Auradon Prep. Unsurprisingly, many music-themed hijinks ensue.
One of July’s new Disney Plus movies that wasn’t acclaimed by fans or critics, Descendants: The Rise of Red nonetheless became the most-streamed Disney Branded Television film of all-time, with 6.7 million people tuning in to watch it in its first three days on the platform. Unless you were one of those individuals, though I’d steer clear of this one as, frankly, it doesn’t sound too entertaining.
Watch Descendants: The Rise of Red on Disney Plus.
New Disney Plus movies: coming soon
Despite the new Disney Plus movies drought ending with Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ arrival, there’s going to be another one very soon. Indeed, there are no other films confirmed to be releasing on Disney’s main streaming platform for the foreseeable future.
Hopefully, the entertainment giant will surprise us with the addition of some new movies throughout August – and we’ll be on hand to let you know as soon as they drop. For the time being, though, there’s nothing else to look forward to. In the meantime, see when we think Deadpool and Wolverine will come to Disney Plus.
Not up for a movie? Try our pick of the best Disney Plus shows, see if there’s a free Disney Plus trial available, read our Disney Plus review, or get the lowdown on the new Disney Plus price points.