WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES Matt Reeves channels David Lean for the latest entry in the simian saga.
Ooh yeah, I’d love a cup of tea,” says Andy Serkis, visibly shivering as he accepts a Styrofoam cup. “Welcome to sunny Vancouver!” On a brass monkey-cold October afternoon, the actor’s suffering for his art, standing in a Canadian forest as his skintight suit soaks up the rain that’s bucketing down – less Weta, more wetter. “I think we’re looking into rethinking the undergarments,” Serkis confides, as the roof of the press tent sags under the weight of pooling water.
The performance-capture expert is otherwise quite happy with his lot. War For The Planet Of The Apes marks his third outing as Caesar, the super intelligent chimp who grew up among humans but rose to lead an ape community after a virus devastated mankind. Now the character’s getting on a bit – and is wracked with guilt after the events of 2014’s Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes, in which he terminated rebel ape Koba.
“What he carries with him throughout the story is that Koba was a brother, in a sense,” Serkis explains. “He would be the equivalent of mid-fifties now, in ape years, and the strain of being leader has taken its toll. He’s very grave and furrow-browed; he’s been beaten down. He’s always tried to keep the peace, but it’s getting more difficult, and as events unfold he has a radical shift of thinking, because he’s caught up with his own emotions.”
Ah, yes – that titular war. As director Matt Reeves explains, a lot has transpired since the credits rolled on the previous installment.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
RETURN TO OZ
WICKED Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande defy gravity as the Broadway smash reaches cinemas.
GRIN AND BEAR IT
SMILE 2 Trauma-horror sequel sees the curse latch onto a pop superstar...
BAD ROMANCE
TIMESTALKER Alice Lowe falls in love with the wrong man time and time again...
CLOWNING GORY
TERRIFIER 3 Creator Damien Leone says Art the Clown is coming home for Christmas...
SELF EXPRESSION
LAYLA A non-binary, British-Palestinian drag queen navigates their expression of identity.
GENA ROWLANDS
I like difficult roles,' said Gena Rowlands. No kidding. A stage, TV and film actor whose career spanned more than six decades, Rowlands will be most remembered for the series of coruscating dramas she made with her first husband, actor-turned-director John Cassavetes, between 1968 and 1984.
'NOW NOTHING IS ABOUT LOOKS OR ABOUT BEING A LEADING LADY.AND IT'S VERY LIBERATING' EMILY WATSON
Since breaking hearts in Breaking the Waves, Emily Watson has delivered countless screen masterclasses, from Gosford Park and Punch-Drunk Love to Apple Tree Yard. Now, the English star goes toe-to-toe with Cilllan Murohy in Irish drama Smeal/ Things like hese and fronts 1V prequel Dune: Prophecy. Is it her second coming? It's elementary, my dear Watson...
BLODD PRESSURE
BASED ON STEPHEN KING'S MOST INFLUENTIAL BOOK AND WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY IT SCRIBE GARY DAUBERMAN, VAMPIRE MOVIE SALEM'S LOT FACED AN UNHOLY FIGHT TO GET TO OUR SCREENS. TOTAL FILM HUNTS DOWN DAUBERMAN AND STARS LEWIS PULLMAN AND MAKENZIE LEIGH TO LEARN ALL THAT WAS AT STAKE...
Lucky Man
He broke out in Beatles jukebox musical Yesterday and has a varied slate of juicy projects on the horizon, including a very different take on a superhero franchise. But, as the everhumble Himesh Patel tells Total Film, he puts a lot of it down to luck...
A BUE ABOVE
WORLD-BUILDER EXTRAORDINAIRE RIDLEY SCOTT IS ALSO THE MASTER OF THE DIRECTOR'S CUT, RESTORING HIS MISHANDLED GEMS INTO MASTERPIECES. WITH THE EXPANSIVE DIRECTOR'S CUT OF NAPOLEON NOW AVAILABLE TO STREAM, TOTAL FILM SPEAKS TO THE GREAT SCOTT ABOUT BLOWING UP BONAPARTE HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH EDITING AND WHY BIGGER IS (USUALLY) BETTER.