War for the Planet of the Apes will be coming out in July 2017. It stars Andy Serkis, reprising his motion-capture role as Caesar the genetically modified Ape leader, and adds the ever-welcome face of Woody Harrelson as the Colonel.
The new trailer shows us how the world has reached the tipping point where either the humans or the apes will succeed and go on to dominate the planet. Caesar is pitted in a battle for survival against the last of the human race.
We have to assume that this War will lead us into the starting point of the original Planet of the Apes films, where the apes rule the world and the few remaining humans are their slaves. But could this franchise have something different up its sleeve? We assume not, but maybe there is another twist along the way before getting to that ape dominated world.
The films have been intelligently made and give a reality and gravitas to the CGI characters that would have been impossible a few years ago. Once again, Serkis’ brilliant motion-capture work will bring to life character of Caesar.
The great thing about this movie series is that each story is a continuation from the last, without having to get bogged down with keeping characters alive. Barring Caesar, pretty much any character, human or ape, can be lost at any point. The World changes and new players join the story. While other movie franchises blow horns and trumpets to announce themselves, POTA goes about the business of building a believable and rounded sci-fi world that draws you in. I’m looking forward to it.
Here’s a taster…
The Official Blurb says:
In War for the Planet of the Apes, the third chapter of the critically acclaimed blockbuster franchise, Caesar and his apes are forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans led by a ruthless Colonel. After the apes suffer unimaginable losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind. As the journey finally brings them face to face, Caesar and the Colonel are pitted against each other in an epic battle that will determine the fate of both their species and the future of the planet.
