Really good sci-fi holds up a mirror to ourselves…
Director Wes Ball along with stars Kevin Durand, Owen Teague and Freya Allan talk to RACHAEL DAVIS about returning to the Planet of the Apes for a new chapter
INHERITING a franchise that has been enrapturing fans for more than 55 years is a daunting prospect.
But with incredible modern animation tools at their disposal, and a new adventure to embark upon, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes both honours and reinvents the saga with a fresh story, cast and characters.
Directed by Wes Ball, best known for the Maze Runner film trilogy, Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes breathes new life into the epic story.
Set around 300 generations after the events of 2017’s War For The Planet Of The Apes, the sci-fi action film follows life after the reign of Caesar the chimpanzee, played by Andy Serkis in the earlier trilogy, in a world where apes are the dominant species, with humans reduced to a life in the shadows.
While the apes are living harmoniously in the oasis Caesar led them to, things take a turn when the ape king Proximus Caesar, played by Lost and The Strain star Kevin Durand, arms himself with weapons created from lost human technologies and perverts Caesar’s teachings to enslave other clans.
Meanwhile, young chimpanzee Noa (The Stand’s Owen Teague), undertakes a harrowing journey with a feral human girl named Mae
(The Witcher’s Freya Allan), which will see him make choices that define the future of both apes and humans.
“We’re expanding the world... exploring all these parts of the universe that we’ve never seen before, and Wes is such a genius at doing that,” teases Owen, 25.
Film-maker Wes has been a fan of the Apes franchise since he was a child, fondly recalling watching and rewatching a VHS copy of 1968’s Planet of the Apes, starring Charlton Heston, in his youth.
In reigniting the franchise, he was keen to bring a fresh approach with new stories and characters, forging a new era for the Planet of the Apes.
“When we first began, the question was: ‘How do you follow up that very beloved trilogy of movies, the Caesar trilogy, but also how do we fit into the long, 55-plus-year legacy of these movies?’,” says the 43-year-old director.
“That’s a lot of themes and ideas and thoughtful concepts, so we thought a lot about that.
“The time jump is really what allowed us to open up our imaginations towards all the possibilities that we can explore here: What’s become of Caesar’s legacy, what’s been lost along the way?
“Throughout human history, we’ve had these experiences where we discover these great things, and they’ll last for hundreds of years, and then [be] rediscovered again, you know? So we got to explore how apes are moving through their evolution, their march towards modernity, towards what we noted in the ‘68 version of Apes.
“It was a lot of fun to imagine all that stuff, and hopefully we’ve done something that’s a new chapter in this long legacy.”
While Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is very much a new chapter, the legacy of Andy Serkis in the reboot trilogy – comprising 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes, 2014’s Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and 2017’s War for the Planet of the Apes – was felt by the new cast.
In preparing to play Noa, Owen had a conversation with the British actor about the art of portraying a simian character that’s as relatable as a human would be, including working with motion capture technology.
“The best thing that he said to me was to take the pressure off the fact that I was playing an ape, and to just approach it like any other character,” Owen says of his chat with Andy.
“It’s easy to get caught up in the physical nature of it, finding the voice and all that, and all that is very important, but at the core
of it, you’re just playing a character.
“That was really what he stressed most of all, but then also little things, like tricks he uses, and how he works with the technology, was super, super helpful...
“He was really invaluable, and really generous.”
The artistry of the behindthe-scenes teams who brought the apes to life on-screen is praised by Kevin, who says he felt “exhilarated” when he watched the final film.
“[In] all of the ape characters, I really saw the human stuff laid down. I saw all of their expressions, the idiosyncratic... that was amazing to see, how the performances came through...” says the 50-yearold.
“I think as an actor, it’s hard to separate – even though I look like Proximus, who apparently looks exactly like me! – I was still whisked away by it.
“I was in tears. Actually my heart was beating uncontrollably, because I just felt so excited and exhilarated by it.”
Freya plays feral human Mae, so there was no motion capture for her, yet the actress says she would love the opportunity to have a go at some monkey business in any future films.
“I walked into the ape school dungeon [and] I was like, ‘That’s not a bit of me!”’ laughs the 22-year-old.
“And then as time went on, I went, ‘You know what, I’d like a little go at that’. Maybe I could, if there was a next [one], I could ask to be an ape extra.”
In amongst all the simian fun and sci-fi spectacle of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes are grains of truth to be drawn out about human society and the world that we live in, says Wes.
“That’s what makes these movies work, ultimately. Really good sci-fi, it holds up a mirror to ourselves – we see ourselves in these stories.
“They’re fantastical, and high concept, and science fiction, all that stuff, [but] it’s making in some small way, sometimes [a] big way, a comment on the world we live in today.
“Things to aspire to, things to avoid, all that kind of stuff.
“That’s what makes these movies tick, I think. And then, on top of that, there’s this great spectacle of just the craft level of it all, the world creation of it all.
“We balance those two things: The spectacle and the truth of it all.”
Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes is in cinemas now
He was really invaluable, and really generous…
Owen Teague on advice from Caesar trilogy star Andy Serkis