Dubbed the “final chapter” in Fox’s prequel trilogy – for now, at least – there’s a profound sense of magnitude and importance resting on the furry shoulders of War For the Planet of the Apes.
Both Dawn and Rise drew praise for the ways in which they balanced spectacle with a sophisticated, fiercely compelling narrative – the franchise’s box office total is a testimony to that feat, too, which currently stands at $1.1 billion – but with War For the Planet, Matt Reeves and Fox’s threequel looks set to tip the scales ever so slightly in favor of a full-blown conflict.
That’s not to say that both parties have engineered a big, loud, and dumb blockbuster, far from it; merely that War For the Planet of the Apes has raised the stakes so high that it’s small wonder why it’s been called the darkest entry in Fox’s saga yet. Fans got a glimpse of that human vs. simian battle earlier this week via the film’s suitably epic final trailer – it’s expected to screen before Alien: Covenant tonight in select U.S. theaters – and in a bid to keep that momentum ticking over, 20th Century Fox has now unleashed not one, but two action-packed TV spots, which spell all kinds of trouble for Caesar and his army. Andy Serkis is back in the mo-cap suit as the super-smart ape – or, in the words of Serkis himself, a “war-ravaged leader” on a quest for revenge.
War For the Planet of the Apes, also starring Woody Harrelson, Steve Zahn, Terry Notary (Kong: Skull Island), Amiah Miller, Judy Greer and Karin Konoval, gallops into theaters on July 14th. It’ll seemingly conclude Caesar’s harrowing journey, but what are your hopes for Matt Reeves’ oncoming tentpole? Do let us know below.
