Movies

'War For The Planet Of The Apes' Plot Revealed: Caesar Vs. The Colonel... And Himself

War for the planet of the apes
By Peter Sciretta/

20th Century Fox has announced that War for the Planet of the Apes will be providing a sneak preview to attendees of New York Comic-Con next week. But more importantly, they have released the first official plot synopsis for the upcoming Dawn of the Planet of the Apes sequel. Hit the jump to learn about the War for the Planet of the Apes plot and also find out more about the NYCC festivities.

Here is the official plot synopsis for War For The Planet Of The Apes:

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.

This plot summary is particularly interesting because it confirms that War will take place some time after the events of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. The Rise of the Planets of the Apes sequel ended with the humans calling for military assistance from another faction. The original shot but deleted ending scene would have shown Ceasar and his apes looking out from the Golden Gate Bridge at the oncoming battleships.

This story appears to take place in a different location with a new villain, the Colonel who we know will be played by Woody Harrelson. It's also fascinating that the story will focus on Caesar struggling with his darker instincts. It also seems like sort of a mythic western journey. Here is the behind the scenes photo that director Matt Reeves tweeted at the start of production:

Previously, Reeves said he wants "the story to be able to connect from the human to the ape world."

"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."

He later stated that the film would focus on Ceasar more than the last two, a "unique character in that he was raised as human but he's an ape, and he wasn't part of either." Serkis has said that at the start of War, the "ape community has fallen apart" and Ceasar is "going to have to lead the apes in darker times" with a potential war on the horizon.

As for the information about the NYCC event, here goes:

At New York Comic-Con, 20th Century Fox will debut an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the creation and filming process, as well as offer is never before seen film footage. At the event, director Matt Reeves and producer Dylan Clark will join Andy Serkis on stage to discuss "the unique relationship between performance capture acting and filmmaking." Attendees can catch the panel on Thursday, October 6th at 8:30 pm, the event will be held at the REGAL E-WALK THEATER on 247 West 42nd Street.

War for Planet of the Apes will hit theaters nationwide on July 14th, 2017. The film stars Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson, Steve Zahn, Terry Notary and Karin Konoval.

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