Merrick here...
I have hugely neurotic and conflicted feelings about this new PLANET OF THE APES film, which we got a far-too-brief tease of yesterday.
Frankly, my first knee-jerk instinct is to wish that this project...yet another reimagining of the POTA mythology...would just fuck off. But, despite the snark and whininess I often throw around on this site, I truly do make every effort to remain as open minded about a movie or TV show when going into it. I have, repeatedly, seen my expectations proven wrong...and found myself surprised by a picture or TV show (in both good ways and bad)...so I'm forcing myself to remain as neutral as possible here, prejudice passions aside.
Despite their warts, I love, love LOVE the original PLANET OF THE APES films - I've seen each of them more times than I can count, recently mainlined them with my teenage son (who couldn't get enough), and intend to view them again before this new movie swings around. Even the installments which are not as strong as other pictures in the cycle fascinate me (BENEATH THE... and BATTLE FOR...); I found the newly restored & re-violented CONQUEST OF THE PLANET OF THE APES to be a pretty reasonable gut punch, all things considered. I had this PLANET OF THE APES garbage can throughout my childhood, until a few years ago when it was crushed in a move...
...and, by complete happenstance, my four year old now seems to be getting into THE PLANET OF THE APES animated series (it's available on DVD HERE, or via Netflix).
As such, part of me is deeply excited by the new RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES - as I would really enjoy seeing another thoughtful and provocative installment in the APES franchise, and feel there are still ways to make and keep the mythos as socially and politically relevant as its progenitors.
But will RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES be that movie? In the current studio climate, the odds of having a socially/politically relevant mainstream genre film seem astronomically slim and, as I've noted before, may well be limited to a precious handful of filmmakers (Blomkamp being one). So it's hard to know exactly where RISE is coming from given that we know so little about it - but perhaps we'll be able to more learnedly asses the film after tomorrow.
Per the press release cited below, a live event on Facebook tomorrow at 2:30 PDT (please note the time zone and adjust appropriately) "will give viewers an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at their work on the film, a reality-based cautionary tale that blends science fiction and science-fact " - via a streaming discussion with WETA gods Joe Letteri and Dan Lemmon.
The full press release is below will give you all the details you'll need to join the fun...
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LIVE FROM WETA: “APES” REVEALED!
WETA DIGITAL TO HOST LIVESTREAM EVENT ON FACEBOOK
FOR RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
OSCAR®-WINNING VFX HOUSE (AVATAR, THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY)
TO PROVIDE A BEHIND-THE-SCENES LOOK AT THE MAGIC OF RENDERING, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE FILM SERIES, A PHOTO-REAL APE
LOS ANGELES, April 11, 2011 –WETA Digital, the industry-leading and Academy Award® winning visual effects house behind the wizardry of films such as Avatar, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, and District 9, will host a livestream event on Facebook, for RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES. On April 13, at 2:30PM PDT, from WETA’s headquarters in Wellington, New Zealand, WETA’s Joe Letteri and Dan Lemmon will give viewers an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at their work on the film, a reality-based cautionary tale that blends science fiction and science-fact – and is the last big event movie of the summer.
The event will live on Facebook’s official fan page for Avatar (http://www.facebook.com/officialavatarmovie), which has 14.2 million followers. Last year, WETA won an Academy Award for its groundbreaking visual effects work in rendering an entire fantasy world in James Cameron’s history-making epic. WETA’s work on RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES presented very different challenges and opportunities. In addition to creating a CG character that gives a performance of unprecedented emotion and intelligence, WETA is applying some of the technology it developed for Avatar to bring to life a real world – the film is set in modern-day San Francisco – and epic battles on which rest the upended destinies of man and primate.
Letteri, a five-time Oscar® winner, and Lemmon will provide a look into WETA’s process, and explain how working on a Planet of the Apes film has long been the “holy grail” of visual effects wizardry – and a driving force behind their own careers. In addition, visitors to the livestream event will hear from other RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES filmmakers, including director Rupert Wyatt, and get a behind-the-scenes look at the work of actor Andy Serkis, whose nuanced performance is playing a key role in WETA’s rendering of Caesar, the film’s principal ape character.
A five-second preview of WETA’s work on RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES is available on the film’s official Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/ApesWillRise
In the film’s story, a single act of both compassion and arrogance leads to a war unlike any other -- and to the RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES. It stars James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Brian Cox, Tom Felton, David Oyelowo and Andy Serkis as Caesar. Peter Chernin and Dylan Clark are producing for Chernin Entertainment under its pact with Fox. Rupert Wyatt is directing from a screenplay by Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver, who are also producing.
RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES opens in theaters everywhere August 5, 2011.
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