Caesar leads a guerrilla army in first War for the Planet of the Apes trailer
War for the Planet of the Apes appears to be the climactic end-all battle between man and ape, and the first full-length trailer for the movie has finally been released. It reveals to us a war-ready Woody Harrelson, an increasingly hateful Caesar (Andy Serkis), and what should only ever be described as guerrilla warfare between the two. I was not expecting this movie to look so brutally intense, but I’m completely on board. Director Matt Reeves has shown us he can not only craft a haunting, visceral film (Let Me In), but he’s dabbled in ape territory before with Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. I’m sure he’s excited to continue the legacy and bring these beasts (both man and ape) into all-out war.
Watch the first trailer for War for the Planet of the Apes and read a plot synopsis for the movie after the jump.
Looks pretty insane, right? That encounter in the caves in pitch darkness, the silent, subtle repelling behind the waterfall, Caesar’s utter distaste for mankind at this point. All are signs that the filmmaker and the characters are seasoned and committed.
Here’s a plot synopsis for War for the Planet of the Apes:
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 of their species and the future of the planet.
And here’s an insightful snippet from the director regarding the journey he sees Caesar arcing through, courtesy of /Film:
So first one, [Rise of the Planet of the Apes] is this sort of how [Caesar] goes from humble beginnings to becoming a revolutionary. In Dawn, he rose to the occasion of becoming a leader, a great leader in really challenging difficult times. The notion of what we’re after in the third is continue that trajectory to how he becomes the seminal figure in ape history and almost becomes sort of like an ape Moses of sorts, a kind of mythic ascension. We’re trying to play out those themes and try to explore it in this universe of exploring human nature under the guise of apes.
War for the Planet of the Apes was directed by Matt Reeves (Cloverfield, Let Me In) and stars Woody Harrelson, Judy Greer, Steve Zahn, and Andy Serkis. The movie makes its way to theaters on July 14, 2017.
