Beneath the Planet of the Apes

Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970) is the sequel to the groundbreaking 1968 film Planet of the Apes. The story follows astronaut Brent (James Franciscus), who is sent to locate Taylor’s (Charlton Heston) missing crew and crash-lands on the same future Earth dominated by intelligent apes.

Brent encounters Nova (Linda Harrison), Taylor’s mute companion, who guides him through the perilous ape society. They find themselves caught between the militant General Ursus (James Gregory), who is leading a gorilla army into war, and the more rational Dr. Zaius (Maurice Evans), who warns of dangers in the Forbidden Zone.

Their journey leads them deep underground, where they discover a mutated human cult that worships a doomsday weapon—the Alpha-Omega Bomb. The climax comes as Taylor, Nova, and Brent are thrust into a catastrophic confrontation that threatens both apes and humans.