Matt Reeves shared the first image from the set of the now filming War for the Planet of the Apes, the third film in the prequel trilogy that follows both Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.
The above shot appears to echo the shocking final scene in Franklin J. Schaffner’s 1968 Planet of the Apes in which George Taylor (Charlton Heston) learns that the “planet” of the apes is actually a future Earth that’s been destroyed. In 1968, this shit was revolutionary, with a plot twist so significant that it’s widely considered one of the most memorable in the history of cinema.
It appears that Reeves is taking viewers back to the beach to maybe bridge War and the original Apes when it releases in theaters July 14, 2017.
Steve Zahn recently joined Fox’s War of the Planet of the Apes as one of the new lead apes. Woody Harrelson was cast as “The Colonel”, a man described as the main villain of the film. Gabriel Chavarria stars.
The story will also continue the tale of Caesar, who has been the main character of the new generation of films.
Watch for more as it comes in.