The protagonists to this excellent franchise – now presenting it’s third and potentially final endeavour War for the Planet of the Apes – are, as the title alludes to, apes. And yet director Matt Reeves has crafted a tale which studies our own relationship with war in a primitive way, using these characters as a catalyst to study the human condition.
We were fortunate enough to sit down with the talented filmmaker to discuss this notion, and exactly what war movies best inspired him. It’s clear too that Apocalypse Now is an influence, particularly in the performance of chief antagonist Woody Harrelson, channeling his inner Marlon Brando – and Reeves also speaks about collaborating with the great actor.
Finally, we couldn’t help but ask about The Batman, as Reeves is taking over the helm of the celebrated DC superhero. With a stylistic vision so distinctive to him as a filmmaker, we wanted to know what fans can expect of the forthcoming production, which Reeves is tackling as a multi-faceted character drama.
Watch the full interview below…
Synopsis
Caesar (Andy Serkis) and his apes are forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans led by a ruthless colonel (Woody Harrelson). 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.
War for the Planet of the Apes is released on July 11th. You can read our review of the film here.
