Directed by Matt Reeves, the War of the Planet of the Apes is the third instalment in the series reboot.
The original series was introduced in 1968 and ran until 1973.
In the film, the war pits Caesar against the human’s leader, a ruthless Colonel, in an encounter that will determine the fate of their species and Earth’s future. At the beginning of the film, the apes have already retreated into the woods, where they have an advantage and Caesar has lost most of his empathy for humans, becoming a cold, hardened leader.
In an attempt to end all the fighting, he sets out on a mission with a small envoy to assassinate the Colonel, but along the way he encounters Nova.
Director Reeves revealed during New York Comic Con:
“The battle is no just between the humans and the apes, but in Caesar’s soul.”
The film also brings back a character called Nova, who appeared in the original film. In the trailer footage, Caesar and his apes kill her father after stumbling upon their home.
War of the Planet of the Apes stars Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson, Gabriel Chavourria, Steve Zahn, Judy Greer and Kevin Konoval.
Reeves has also revealed that his aim is to portray Caesar as “the ape Moses,” and that this instalment of the franchise may not necessarily lead into the 1968 original or even end the current series.
What we know so far:
Reeves has mentioned that the movie would traverse a range of genres, one of them being the Western.
Harrelson’s character is “very extreme”. “He responds to the apes with ‘true cruelty’ but feels he has a justification, based on a secret from his past that’s yet to be revealed”.
The film is scheduled for a July 14, 2017 release.