About Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (HBO)

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is a 2014 American science fiction film directed by Matt Reeves and written by Mark Bomback, Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver. It's the second installment in the Planet of the Apes reboot series and follows the 2011 film Rise of the Planet of the Apes. The plot centers on a growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar, who is threaten by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth's dominant species.

Making / Production

The movie was produced by Chernin Entertainment for 20th Century Fox. Filming took place in British Columbia, New Orleans, and San Francisco, with motion-capture technology used to depict the apes. The visual effects were provided by Weta Digital.

Actors

• Andy Serkis as Caesar, the leader of the ape colony. Serkis reprises his role and delivers a powerful performance through motion capture.
• Jason Clarke as Malcolm, a former architect among the human survivors in San Francisco. Clarke portrays a peaceful mediator between apes and humans.
• Gary Oldman as Dreyfus, the leader of the human survivors. Oldman plays a man driven to extremes to protect his kind.
• Keri Russell as Ellie, a former nurse at the CDC and Malcolm's wife. Russell portrays her character with strength and empathy.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• This is the first Apes film to not feature a human antagonist turning into an ape.
• To prepare for their roles, all actors playing apes spent an extensive amount of time studying the behaviors and movements of real apes.
• The budget of the movie was approximately $170 million.

Awards

The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. It also won the Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film, among other awards.

Quotes

• "War has already begun. Ape started war. And human... Human will not forgive."
• "Apes not kill apes."
• "We are not savages. Apes fight to survive."

Music, Soundtrack

• The haunting score was composed by Michael Giacchino, who has previously worked on scores for films like The Incredibles and Up.
• 'The Weight' performed by Mike McCready, Tim Commerford, Brad Wilk and Chris Goss can be heard in one scene.