Credit: New Line CinemaAndy Serkis is confident in the new offering!
The technology behind motion capture is fascinating and relatively new on the scene of feature-length filmmaking. Pioneered in films like Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999) and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), the process provided a way to integrate computer-generated characters into a live-action setting with more realistic movements, facial expressions, and more because it actually utilized a live actor on set, and there’s perhaps no better motion-capture actor than Andy Serkis.
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The first actor to be a part of real-time motion capture, Serkis brought the character Smeagol/Gollum to life for the Lord of the Rings franchise, portraying the role in The Two Towers, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) and then again in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012). Serkis’ performance was an outstanding addition to each film, bringing to life a character that would have been otherwise unbelievable.
Instead, audiences witnessed an extremely realistic character whose facial expressions mirrored Serkis’ own because they were his! Utilizing motion capture technology on the actor’s face, editors were able to use his performance as he gave it to create the emaciated creature Gollum (Serkis) with actual emotions and expression! With as amazing as that creation was and Serkis’ experience, it would stand to reason other productions utilizing the technology would want to bring him on board.
Such was the case with the Planet of the Apes franchise. Starting with Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), Andy Serkis brought to life Caesar, a chimpanzee whose mother is given an experimental viral drug by chemist William Rodman (James Franco). Rodman (Franco) is trying to develop a cure for Alzheimer’s, and while initially, it seems to be working, the effects quickly wear off in human subjects, prompting further more dangerous experimentation.
Throughout the franchise, the illness debilitates the human population, all the while bolstering ape intellect. In each subsequent film of the rebooted franchise, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) and War for the Planet of the Apes (2017), Serkis reprised the role of Caesar, bringing his outstanding skill for motion capture performance to each film. It was surprising, therefore, to learn that the star wouldn’t be returning for the announced Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024), casting doubt in fans’ minds about the quality of the film.
Serkis has returned to put those fears to rest. In a recent Cinemablend interview, the Lord of the Rings star spoke about the new movie, which is being helmed by Planet of the Apes director, Wes Ball:
“I think Wes Ball is going to do an amazing job with this film. I think it’s, from what I’ve heard and what I’ve seen, there’s some amazing conceptual artwork. And where they’ve chosen to land the story and take off with the next iteration, I think it’s gonna blow people’s minds.”
Although he will not be involved in the new film, Serkis wasted no time expressing his confidence in the new offering, which will be the first Planet of the Apes without him and the first of the franchise released under the supervision of Disney. Production is already underway, and plans are still set for a 2024 release unless Disney and 20th Century make significant changes in the near future.
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Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes comes to theaters May 24, 2024, and stars Owen Teague as Cornelius, the son of Caesar, and Freya Allan, Peter Macon, Eka Darville, Kevin Durand, William H. Macy, Dichen Lachman, and many others in as yet undisclosed roles. The film will pick up one generation after War for the Planet of the Apes and see the emerging ape culture struggling while humans regress further into a “feral state.”
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