#noa trilogy

[sweetsoona]

Am I delusional for being heartbroken there’s been no news at all of a novelization set either before or after Kingdom

[blogthebooklover]

My Theories/Takes On The Next Two Movies In The "Noa" Trilogy.

I'm mainly focusing on the current "Noa" trilogy (hopefully) for the reboot Planet of the Apes franchise. There are also some takes/theories I would like to see happen in the next two movies, or being inspired from other films. I mentioned some of these scenes on discord, and I'm including other ones as well. Keep in mind, this is all just for fun.

Noa Gets Captured a la King Kong Style

If the second movie focuses on mostly Mae's arc after the end of Kingdom, I imagine a scene similar to King Kong 2005 (didn't Owen Teague also mention this is one of his favorite movies?) Maybe Noa is trying to get Mae back for whatever reason, however, her colony sets up a trap for him and Mae tries all that she can to not see him get hurt, and this time by her human companions.

And maybe a following scene where Mae meets Noa a la Disney's Pocahontas.

2. Mae and Noa Reunion

I imagine a scene similar to Spirited Away when Mae and Noa reunite in the second (or maybe third) movie. Whether this happens before or after Noa gets captured, I'm not sure, but I digress. Plus, didn't Wes Ball mention he's also a fan of Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli movies?

3. Mae and/or Noa Gets Hurt/Saved

Okay, for this one I imagine three or four different scenes.

First: a scene similar to the ending of James Cameron's Avatar; when Neytiri saves Jake's human form in the trailer. I imagine this can work vice versa between Mae and Noa, and maybe at the end of third movie. Most likely to be closer to this version.

Second: a scene similar to the ending of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Specifically the scene where Ben/Kylo saves Rey with the use of his force. I imagine a scene like this happening in the third movie as well.

Third: a scene similar to Peter Pan 2003. Specifically the final fight scene. Once again, more likely to happen in the third movie.

Fourth, and saved this one for the last part in this section: a scene similar to The Fox and the Hound, and yes, THAT SCENE! Once again, this could work vice versa (Mae stepping in to protect Noa, and/or Noa stepping in to protect Mae). I can imagine a scene like this happening in either the very end of the second film, or perhaps the third.

4. Noa Has a Whole Monologue Moment

SPOILER ALERT: this is from Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, and imho this is SUPERB A+++ WRITING AND ACTING from Roddy McDowall, Harry Rhodes, and screenwriter Paul Dehn (Owen Teague has to show OFF his acting abilities). I imagine a scene of Noa giving a monologue about protecting his kind, maybe at the end of the second movie.

Side Note: I also highly recommend buying the Blu Ray compilation pack of the OG franchise, it has some great behind-the-scenes features/documentaries, and I especially recommend watching the one about Conquest.

5. Noa, Anaya, Soona & Mae Find A Recording of Will Rodman

This was in my head for a while now, I mentioned this on a discord server, and this is something I can totally see happening maybe at the end of the sequel or some time in the third movie. The trio and Mae find a video recording of Will (James Franco) confessing that HE was the one that caused the Simian virus, that it was originally supposed to be a cure for dementia/Alzheimer's. While he was taking care of both his father Charles (John Lithgow) who was sick from Alzheimer's, and eventually his adoptive son Caesar (Andy Serkis) who was born with the ALZ112 in his system due to his mother being one of the test subjects for the cure; Will reveals he became determined to continue working on the medicine to help eradicate Alzheimer's altogether.

He was working on something that was supposed to help society, not destroy it and cause the downfall of humankind. And because he couldn't take it any longer of seeing his own father regressing further into his illness.

After everything that happened in Rise, to the beginnings of the Simian pandemic, and eventually Caroline's death during the full swing of the virus, he sets up his video camera system on his computer and gives his last confession before either dying of the virus himself; or perhaps (TW) taking his own life (possibly off-camera).

And after the recording is finished playing, the quartet are stunned in complete and utter shock of this revelation. Now obviously, Mae knew about the virus, however, she had absolutely no idea about its true origins until this point; or her authority figures from the bunker KNEW, but kept it as restricted knowledge for only the higher ups to access, while the rest of the surviving humans only know what they were taught from their history lessons (sound familiar?). Meanwhile, this information is once again obviously, A LOT to take in for the ape trio; especially for Noa.

I'm not entirely sure if Noa would distant himself from the others, or become standoffish, (at least according to the deleted scenes) my poor boy is going through the process of an enlightened mind. On the other hand though, I do see him becoming slightly standoffish, considering his reaction to the picture book from the vault.

Will Rodman (James Franco) is probably the only other human character I imagine returning, from the Caesar trilogy.

6. Mae's Story Arc

If Kingdom ended with both Mae and Noa, since the beginning is very heavily focused on Noa's story (to be fair, it IS the classic Hero's Journey). I think the second movie might lean in to Mae's storyline/arc just a little bit more. I do think she's going to remain an antihero/heroine, maybe sharing similarities to how Caesar (not entirely, maybe a sprinkling here and there) was in Dawn, but I don't think she'll go down the path that Koba eventually did.

I think she's still going to remain conflicted about where her loyalties lie between Noa, the grief of losing her team (possibly her entire family) from Proximus's apes, and the fate of whatever is leftover of humanity. To add to this, I also think Mae is going to have PTSD and develop some unhealthy coping mechanisms after everything that happened in Kingdom. I've seen someone on discord talk about the possibility of her becoming a double agent (again, to be fair, the context was a fanfiction AU, but I digress). I absolutely love the idea for Mae, kind of similar to how Jake Sully was in James Cameron's Avatar, before he eventually feels something more for the Na'vi and Neytiri.

While she acts as a double agent for the humans and apes, Mae begins to slowly heal from her trauma when she's with Noa and the rest of the Eagle Clan, and maybe a couple of human allies who also act as go-betweens.

And maybe when she's with the people from the bunker, she can only stay in the quarantine areas, and the only other human(s) she interacts with will probably be either a doctor or nurse (get it??? Shakespeare anybody???)

7. Noa's Story Arc

I'd like to see Noa still learning his role as a leader of his clan in the second movie, we see a bit of this during the flood in the bunker. However, he too is also conflicted about his new view of the world at large, after his alliance with Mae and the whole Proximus Caesar incident. Would he continue to learn about leadership within the confines of his village? Or would he want travel to new areas away from the Eagle Clan, to learn more about this post-apocalyptic world, and the various other ape clans; or underground human communities? Or would he be on the cusp of a dark path himself?

Personally, I have no problem with sweet and naive characters going down a dark path, however, as long as there's a new take on the trope. While it would be interesting to see how Noa's trauma from the events in Kingdom would play out in the next two movies; and maybe it could work as a reverse of Mae healing from her own trauma. However, at the same time, I really really don't want to see him become a thematically dark character.

Like Mae in the aforementioned, I think Noa might also develop PTSD after the events in Kingdom. Whether he finds his own way of healing from said trauma, or dive further into it; hence the darker path previously mentioned, it is up to the screenwriters for the next two movies where Noa's mindset will be. On the other hand though, I would like to see both Mae and Noa learn how to heal together from their traumas.

Hence, Raka's last words to them: Together Strong.

[sweetsoona]

Watched more deleted scenes and it’s so clear that Mae saw Noa as a potential friend. Not just as a tool to use or an inevitable enemy.

During the campfire scene after Mae reveals she can speak, her and Noa were going to have a moment to themselves where they were going to talk about what they saw in the telescope & about the meaning of dreams. It was a very vulnerable conversation of Noa talking about his father and Mae talking about her mother. They were bonding not only over their mutual confusion about stars and space, but also over their parents.

Towards the end of the convo, Noa says something self deprecating and Mae stops him, saying he’s different from the others, before she walks away to sleep.

It was a really nice, touching moment between the two and I don’t think Mae was lying. Even she seemed surprised by her own sincerity. Like she’s still grappling with the idea that maybe Noa is different. Maybe apes aren’t all the same. Like this is the start of a very small seed undoing her preconceptions.

The scene definitely wasn’t them becoming besties, they’re still very far from that if they reach it at all. But I think Mae was beginning to see the POTENTIAL for a positive relationship. Something she didn’t expect traveling with an ape.

Which makes the finale where Mae holds the gun behind her back even more heartbreaking. Because she fears she might have to put down one of the VERY FEW apes she didn’t have to be afraid of. That she might not have had to be enemies with. Raka and Noa are the first apes she’s ever met that treated her with kindness, mercy, and compassion. Raka died saving her life, and now she might have to take Noa’s. It’s excruciating how alone Mae is.

But then Noa reminds her that maybe friendship between apes and humans is still possible. And Mae says she doesn’t know, but then she accepts Raka’s necklace and cries and leaves in peace, and it’s clear which path she subconsciously prefers (co-existence), it’s just going to take her some time to reach the conclusion herself.

While the deleted scene had to be scrapped because the subplots it covers got scrapped, I wish at least another version or rewrite of it had been made so it could’ve kind’ve stayed. That moment of them letting their walls down by the fire was really touching!

❌ Don’t tag as ship ❌

[sweetsoona]

Proximus Appreciation

Godddd I forgot how good of a villain Proximus is. He’s amazing, Kevin Durand is a gem.

He is SO charismatic and lively. And he truly believes in everything he’s saying. Or wait, that’s not accurate. He believes in the power of everything he says. Whether HE genuinely holds those beliefs or not is irrelevant because as long as other apes believe, that’s all that matters.

And he is so fucking GOOD at talking. Like he is actually a gotdamn genius.

(Messy ramble under the cut)

Over Dinner

“I know you’re coming here to get inside my vault.” / “IT’S NOT YOURS!” / “Oh, it is now isn’t it?” He says almost laughing in the face of Mae’s outrage. Because it does not matter, not even a little bit, that the vault wasn’t initially meant for apes. Who’s around to stop and take it from him? Her? This one lone human? What can she do? Nothing.

Not by herself.

“Noa what do you see?” / “Stolen clans” / “Not ‘clans’, a kingdom. A kingdom for apes.” Intentionally steers away from how all the apes got there, and focuses on where they could go from here. A kingdom for apes. He gestures between the two of them, like you and me.

Then continues, “Humans can never be trusted”. Trying to get Noa to psychologically distance himself from Mae and connect better with himself. “THEY do not understand that this is OUR time.” This is our time, our world, our lives Noa. And all THEY want to do is take that away from US. It is not you vs me, it’s us vs them. I’m just trying to protect us, Noa.

In The Vault

Later, he tries the tactic again. “APE TO APE, what did MAE have planned for me inside my own vault?” He's giving Noa an out. If he pins it all on Mae and exposes the plan, then Proximus will ignore his involvement. Ape to ape, kin to kin.

But again, it fails. Noa refuses to sympathize with Proximus and is not caving. “Okay, so what do you choose, a human over an ape? Your sweet little Soona or that stinking human?!” You won’t connect with me? Fine. I know an ape you DO have a bond with. He takes Soona hostage and then manipulates how it could be interpreted. His question frames it so Noa will believe it’s about ape vs human, and that everyone witnessing will think it’s about ape vs human.

If that’s the case, the answer should be simple. Choose apes. Tell him the plan Noa. Help Soona. Are you going to turn your back on your own kind? For an echo? For a pest??

But the question isn’t about “apes vs humans” at all and Proximus KNOWS THIS!!! Mae is just a stand-in, a representation. It’s not about Mae the human at all, not on a personal level or even on a species level. Proximus only wants Noa and all those witnessing to BELIEVE he’s asking the simple easy choice of choosing between a loved one and a “pest.”

But the actual ultimatum that is being thrown is for Noa to choose between Soona and the Clan. Because Proximus is smart enough to guess that whatever Noa intended to do would help his clan and hurt Proximus. But he can’t outwardly SAY that because then he’d look like the villainous tyrant he is to all the other apes. So he must frame it in a way that makes him appear to be For Apekind™️ and Noa to be a traitor. You refuse to connect with me, so I will punish those you do have a connection with. What do you choose Noa? Ape or human Soona or your clan’s freedom? “TELL ME THE PLAN!” It’s all about that gotdamn plan!

Proximus is asking Noa the trolley problem. One ape or several. All people you love. You choose who suffers.

And Noa, the very clever ape he is, KNOWS this is the true question which is why he freaks out and Proximus has him right where he wants him. Because either way Noa loses. Sacrifice Soona or sacrifice the plan. Punishment for his refusal to submit.

After The Flood

By this point, Proximus has attempted talking Noa into joining him, he has tried threatening Noa into joining him. When “diplomacy” and intimidation fails, the only thing left to do is just kill him. Noa will never submit unless as a last resort. So that's the exact scenario Proximus creates. He beats Noa bloody in front of all of his loved ones and demands that before he dies Noa must bend the knee.

If he kills Noa without Noa ever submitting at least ONE SINGLE TIME, Noa will become a martyr for his clan. They’ll never be truly loyal to Proximus. Losing Noa is a waste of a very smart ape, but since Noa refuses to be useful while alive, Proximus will make sure he’s useful in death. So he orders Noa to bend the knee before he kills him so that Eagle Clan will follow.

It could even be perceived as another double-layered threat. Bend the knee and your clan will again become one under me after your death. Or don’t bend the knee and your clan’s fate will be left up for ME to decide after your death. Make another lose-lose choice Noa. You won’t be alive to witness it anyway.

God Proximus is just so CREATIVE and INTELLIGENT and MANIPULATIVE!! He’s a captivating antagonist and definitely one of my favorites!

[sweetsoona]

Another thing I appreciate about how the Proximus vs Noa standoff was resolved is that it gives more meaning to Koro’s sacrifice.

“Master of Birds” isn’t a meaningless title. He REVERED their eagles. He played a large part in raising them, caring for them, singing to them, understanding them, etc.

He loved their clan’s customs and LOVED their eagles to the point of sacrificing his last few moments, literally surrounded by fire, to make sure they got free.

So another reason I love the eagles’ involvement in Proximus’ demise is that, while it emphasizes their culture, it also directly circles back to what and who Koro sacrificed his life for. A “fuck you” from beyond the grave delivered in the form of everything and everyone he’s cared for.