TheWrap brings word that Steve Zahn (“Treme,” Diary of a Wimpy Kid) has joined the War for the Planet of the Apes cast and will take on the role of one of the titular primates in the film. He’s joining Andy Serkis, who will reprise the role of Caesar.
On the human side, the War for the Planet of the Apes cast will include Gabriel Chavarria (“East Los High”) and Woody Harrelson (“True Detective,” Zombieland).
“I know that part of the desire for Matt [Reeves] to do this next movie is about continuing the enjoyment of seeing these apes evolve. So I don’t think we’re going to see a situation where we’re jumping [ahead in time],” series star Andy Serkis said of the film last year. “…It might be three films, It could be four. It could be five. Who knows? But the journey will continue. It might not necessarily be summarized or completely fulfilled in this next one. The point being, eventually we know that we’re going to end up back at ‘The Planet of the Apes,’ but whether it’s this film or not, I don’t know.”
Reeves, who directed last year’s Dawn, will return for the sequel, the script for which he is co-writing with Mark Bomback.
“The notion of what we’re after with the third is to sort of continue that trajectory and see how he becomes a seminal figure in ape history,” Reeves previously told us. “He almost becomes sort of like an ape Moses. A mythic status… We’re trying to play out those themes and continue to sort of explore it in this universe. Exploring human nature under the guise of apes.”
War for the Planet of the Apes is set for release on July 14, 2017.
