Go Behind the Scenes with “War for the Planet of the Apes” (.PDF Download)

It’s nice to get a behind-the -scenes look at a movie, but even better when you can write about it. Well, I can finally do some of that for the upcoming “War for Planet of the Apes,” which arrives on July 14th—and we have a new trailer, too. It is the third in the series directed by Matt Reeves, starring Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson, Steve Zahn, Amiah Miller, Karin Konoval, and Terry Notary. In this installment, Caesar (Serkis) is leading the apes against a human army led by the heartless Colonel (Harrelson).

I was one of a number of editors who got a look at the making of “War for the Planet of the Apes” on the movie’s Vancouver set last December. We had a chance to talk with the producer, director, and stars, along with the visual effects producer, Ryan Stafford. One thing that was clear from the discussion is that the story and presentation were paramount, and that the actors worked hard to deliver compelling scenes even while wearing prosthetics and motion-capture gear.