I was invited by FOX to attend the War for the Planet of the Apes panel at the Regal Theater in Times Square this past weekend for the New York Comic-Con.
In attendance at the panel included director Matt Reeves, Andy Serkis, and producer Dylan Clark. While no cameras were allowed, below you can check out descriptions for the War for the Planet of the Apes trailer as well as a 7-minute scene. It’s unknown when the trailer will be posted online, but FOX did release a teaser.
I also managed to grab footage of director Matt Reeves when they allowed cameras to be turned on just prior to the debut of the War for the Planet of the Apes trailer. Watch that below.
“War For The Planet of the Apes” has a July 14, 2017 release directed by Matt Reeves starring Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson, Steve Zahn, Terry Notary and Karin Konoval.
Synopsis:
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.
War for the Planet of the Apes panel footage:
War for the Planet of the Apes trailer description:
Human soldiers are searching a cave looking for Caesar. They have military-style heavy weapons with green laser sites and are communicating over the radio. “Target confirmed,” goes over the radio; however, the apes were there waiting and ambush the soldiers. Shots fire, and we see the green laser light all over the place, signifying the apes have taken them out.
Caesar then picks up a walkie-talkie and hears the human on the other end asking, “Did you get the target?” — meaning they were there to assassinate him. We then get a first look at Woody Harrelson’s Colonel whose face is covered in in black camouflage paint. The Colonel and Caesar look at each other, with the Colonel then shown making his escape by rappelling down a water fall with Caesar in pursuit jumping off the ledge through the water.
The War for the Planet of the Apes trailer then cuts to a sizzle reel showing off other footage from the movie. War is coming as both the humans and the apes are preparing. The humans have an army, weapons, tanks, Woody Harrelson shaves his dead, the apes bow to Caesar, human captives, footage aof a battle, the humans compound in the mountains.
The final footage of the trailer shows that Caesar has been captured and is kneeling before the Colonel who points a gun at Caesar’s head. Caesar continues to defy the Colonel and the humans by pushing his head against the butt of the gun and gnarls.
Woody Harrelson’s Colonel also provided narration throughout the sizzle reel footage: “All of human history has led to this moment. The irony is, we created them, and nature has punished us ever since. This is the last stand for humanity. If we lose, it will become a planet of apes.”
War for the Planet of the Apes scene description:
Caesar, Maurice, Rocket and a new gorilla are on horseback where they come upon a cabin and a small encampment inhabited by humans. As they dismount, a man carrying firewood goes to grab his gun, but is shot dead by Caesar (much to the shock of the other apes). The apes then go looking throughout the cabin for other humans and discover a young girl. Caesar wants to leave the girl, but Maurice argues that the girl will die if she is left alone and wants to take the girl with them. Caesar says no, but Maurice won’t leave the girl behind (that appears to be her father that Caesar shot and killed), so Caesar reluctantly agrees. The apes and the girl in the arms of Maurice are shown on horseback with Caesar not looking happy as he moves to the front of their group.
