I remember that before Rise of the Planet of the Apes was released a lot of people were dismissing it as another pointless remake. How wrong they were. Rise of the Planet of the Apes ended up being one of the best movies of the summer and one of this year’s biggest hits (it has grossed $175 million stateside and nearly $300 million internationally). Much of the film’s strength rested on the digital shoulders of Andy Serkis, who brought the main ape Caesar to life through motion capture technology.
Serkis wasn’t signed for Planet of the Apes sequels, but now that Fox is definitely going forward on sequels Deadline reports that Serkis has signed a seven-figure deal to return to future films. There’s no word on what direction a sequel would take — although director Rupert Wyatt and writers Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver are set to return — but it’s not inconceivable that the sequel would have an all-new cast except for Serkis. There’s also no date in mind for the sequel, which is great news — it lets the cast and crew take their time to make this another winner.
The Deadline article also discusses the popular suggestion that Serkis could be nominated for an Oscar for the performance and confirms that Fox will campaign for him. It’s a honor that, frankly, should at least be awarded a special achievement Oscar — Serkis has paved the way to make motion capture technology a new tool available to filmmakers with his previous work with friend Peter Jackson. Whether the Academy listens is anyone’s guess.
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