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If you weren’t aware, there’s a new PLANET OF THE APES movie coming out… sort of. It’s a prequel of sorts, showing us the events that would assumedly lead into the world being taken over by apes. James Franco stars in the lead as a young, driven scientist who becomes a crucial figure in the war between humans and apes. The rest of the cast include John Lithgow as his scientist dad, Freida Pinto as a a primatologist helping Franco, Brian Cox as a villainous owner of a primate sanctuary who runs the facility without compassion for the animals that live there, Tom Felton (of HARRY POTTER fame) as Cox’s son, and Andy Serkis as Caesar – the lead ape, done through WETA visual effects and performance capture. At the very least it’s safe to say we’ll be seeing some awesome effects, but after the last PLANET OF THE APES movie, audiences may not be that eager for more. Check out the trailer below (which I admit looks pretty cool) and tell us your thoughts in the comments. RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES is directed by Rupert Wyatt from a screenplay by Amanda Silver and Rick Jaffa, and opens this August.
RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES is an origin story in the truest sense of the term. Set in present day San Francisco, the film is a reality-based cautionary tale, a science fiction/science fact blend, where man’s own experiments with genetic engineering lead to the development of intelligence in apes and the onset of a war for supremacy.
RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES opens August 5, 2011
Born and raised in Dallas, Mark has been a movie critic since 1994, with reviews featured in print, radio and National TV. In 2001 he started the Entertainment section of the Herorealm website, where he contributed film reviews and celebrity interviews until 2004. After three years of service there, he started Bigfanboy.com, which has become one of the Dallas film community's leading information websites. Bigfanboy hosts several movie screenings in the Texas area, and works closely with film and TV studios and promotional partners to host exciting events and contests. The site also features a variety of rare celebrity and filmmaker interviews, and Bigfanboy.com regularly covers the film festival circuit as well. In addition to Hollywood reporting, Mark has worked for many years as an advertising and sci-fi/comic book artist. Clients have included Lucasfilm Ltd., Topps Trading Cards, The Dallas Mavericks and The Dallas Stars. From 2002 until 2015 he managed the Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo and Fan Days events in the DFW area. He currently catalogs rare comic books and movie memorabilia for Heritage Auctions, and runs the Dallas Comic Show conventions, but remains an avid moviegoer and cinema buff. 
