The Original Ending Of Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes, Explained

The ending of "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" sees the human Mae (Freya Allan) and chimpanzee Noa (Owen Teague) part ways on relatively good terms. However, one moment has sinister connotations bubbling underneath the surface. After retrieving the decipher key that will allow humans to communicate again, Mae is shown with a gun behind her back, implying that she's ready to shoot the primate if she has to. Well, it turns out that she may have been willing to, as the film's original ending saw Mae point the weapon at her furry friend.

"In the scene that I shot, Mae was going there to kill him because he scares her," Allan told The Hollywood Reporter. "His intelligence scares her. Mae doesn't want to kill him, but she feels she has to ... 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?' Mae is crying as she's doing it ... And then she doesn't."

According to Allan, the scene was removed in the editing suite, a decision that she supported. The actor believes that the cuts led to a more ambiguous and emotional ending, and audiences can make up their own mind regarding whether Mae would have been willing to pull the trigger. Still, there is still time for conflict down the line.

Some of the best sci-fi movies depict scary futures where humans are at odds with the planet around them. "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" is no different. The story takes place in a bleak future universe where primates run the roost, humans are mostly feral outsiders, and they don't exactly get along. However, the fact that Mae doesn't shoot Noa suggests that there might be hope for both species. But what does the future of the franchise hold?

Producer Amanda Silver detailed plans to continue exploring the theme of humans versus nature, telling Variety, "[There's] always this question from the very original ['Planet of the Apes' movie]: Can ape and human live side by side? Is there room on the planet for more than one intelligent species?" In the same interview, fellow producer Rick Jaffa explained that they hope to make a trilogy if everything goes according to plan.

Details about the next movie are being kept close to the vest. However, it will presumably entail Mae uniting with other humans and potentially encountering the wrath of some angry apes. Learning how to co-exist won't happen overnight, and Mae might have to use her weapon after all. For more information, check out the untold truth of "Planet of the Apes."