Andy Serkis has revealed that he is open to a potential return to the Planet of the Apes films. The franchise is expected to be rebooted at Disney, who owns the series following their purchase of 21st Century Fox. Serkis led the most recent trilogy in the franchise with a motion-captured performance as the ape leader Caesar, with the prequels focused on the origins of the apes' takeover of Earth, which culminated in a final showdown with the remaining humans in Matt Reeves' War for the Planet of the Apes.
Planet of the Apes is one of the longest-running franchises in Hollywood, with the 1968 original having spawned several sequels and more than one reboot. Tim Burton directed a much-reviled remake of the first film in 2001, with Mark Wahlberg taking over Charlton Heston's part, while Serkis' prequel trilogy began in 2011 with Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Now, The Maze Runner director Wes Ball is set to take the helm for a new entry in the classic franchise, which, because of its heavy use of CG, could go into production fairly soon.
When asked about the reboot during an interview with THR, Serkis admits to loving the Apes universe, as well as looking back fondly on the time he spent filming the trilogy. He wouldn't rule out his eventual return, but it would be dependent on the quality of the pitch. If the script's narrative and characters are compelling enough, he says, it would be hard to turn down:
Gosh. Look, I love that universe, and playing Caesar throughout those three films was an amazing part of my life. So I suppose it all comes down to story and character. If it was an amazing story and an amazing script, I certainly wouldn’t turn it down without thinking about it seriously. I’ll put it that way.
Though War for the Planet of the Apes ended with the death of Serkis' character, making his return unlikely, the latest reboot of the franchise is said to continue the universe established by the most recent trilogy. In February 2020, Ball tweeted that his planned installment would continue Caesar's legacy, debunking a rumor that he was directly remaking Rise. While there are currently no cast members attached, experienced sci-fi screenwriter Josh Friedman will pen the script with Ball, while the co-writers and producers of the Serkis-led films, Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, will stay on as producers.
Fans have been left to speculate on what the future of the Apes franchise may look like, but with Caesar's story closed, it is likely that the new film will focus on a new generation of apes. There are certainly ways to facilitate Serkis' return, but following his recent success at the box office as the director of Venom: Let There Be Carnage, it's likely that the Englishman will be too busy working behind the camera to put the Mo-Cap suit back on. Perhaps the next time he contributes to a Planet of the Apes film, it'll be from the director's chair.
Source: THR