The ending of Matt Reeves’ Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes was originally very different, before it was changed in favor of a more reflective conclusion for Andy Serkis’ Caesar. Dawn ends with Caesar disowning Koba (Toby Kebbell) and letting him fall from the ledge to his death. The final version of the film therefore sees Caesar regaining control of the Apes and standing victorious amidst his family and friends, yet weighed down by the knowledge that the incoming war against the humans is now inevitable.
The original ending for Dawn was quite different, however. As the human resistance managed to contact what remains of the United States military, the final fight between Caesar and Koba would have taken place atop what remains of the Golden Gate Bridge, which was also the setting for the showdown in Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes. The film would then have closed with a final shot of Caesar looking out to the arrival of American warships.
The original ending for Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes almost made it into the theatrical release of the film. One such scene of an incoming warship was even shown in the final trailer for the movie — so why was this ending dropped so close to theatrical release? The answer has to do with the director's plan for the sequel Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes.
In an interview with /Film in 2014, Planet of the Apes' director Matt Reeves explained that “I felt that it was taking us too far into the next movie, and almost starting the next movie and not letting the emotion of what had just happened, of what Caesar had just achieved… [and] the price he had paid. It wasn’t letting that resonate.” Reeves decided to change the ending because he felt it improved the pacing and pathos of the franchise:
I realized that we had skipped too much of the emotion by doing that. And that it actually in a way boxed us in too much… And when I showed it to some people they were like going, so that’s it? They’re gonna start fighting right now? And I was like well no, and I realized that we didn’t have the right ending.
Instead of the planned ending, the final shot in Dawn's theatrical release reflects the film’s opening scene, focusing in on Caesar’s gaze and the emotional toll the film’s events have taken on the leader. The alternate ending would have immediately set up the following film and provided fuel for viewers to debate what War For The Planet Of The Apes would bring, which is a classic blockbuster tactic to stir up excitement for upcoming instalments. Instead, Reeves went for a more thoughtful approach, favoring character and theme in order to let the emotional heft of both what has happened and what is to come sink in. It’s a decision which clearly paid off, as critics praised Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes for its story, action and emotional depth, and currently holds an 88% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.