OK, so the director tweeted that this is the title of the new movie. I like it: no 2 "of the"s, kind of a nod to Battle's title (but more epic sounding). So far there's been one photo tweeted (a beach shot, which got fans' minds racing). They started shooting in October in the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve (Vancouver), especially Ucluelet and Tofino and on the local beaches. Joan Miller, the local film commissioner, said: "There was a huge list of epic locations – there wasn't a back road or waterfall we missed". She also noted the beaches were a key location: "Those are the iconic beaches we shot "Twilight" on". Sounds like so far this month they've been staying indoors on sets.

The cast: I'm digging Woody Harrelson, which takes it full circle for me to 20 years ago when Oliver Stone was going to do POTA. There had been nobodies trying to get it made (Peter Jackson, Adam Rifkin) but Stone's name really kicked it into high gear. He was directing "Natural Born Killers" (starring Harrelson) at the time and his producers were the ones who got him on board "Apes" (fun fact: POTA gets a mention half way through NBK on a loudspeaker in the jail cafeteria scene). Things didn't work out but I've always considered that Ground Zero for Nu Apes. I've always liked Harrelson, he's shown he's a good actor (a Best Actor nomination for the Stone-produced "People vs. Larry Flynt") and he's got sci-fi franchise cred from "The Hunger Games". He just played the title role in Rob Reiner's "LBJ" (the U. S. prez when the original POTA came out) and if he can pull that off Oscar might be calling again.

Harrelson is by far the biggest name in the cast (probably bigger than Andy's). But there's also Steve Zahn playing an ape (he was in 1994's "Reality Bites", which had the first modern "Apes" reference in pop culture that I recall, outside of "Do the Right Thing"). There's also the familiar ape cast and some newbies, including young Amiah Miller, presumably playing the mentioned "wild" human child.

Story: It's being kept under wraps but are there any clues based on it's production title "Hidden Fortress"? That's the name of the Kurosawa film that gave the original "Star Wars" some of it's plot. The first shot of Gary Oldman in "Dawn" is a direct lift from Kurosawa, so the title is not coincidence. There's been no official mention this is the last Caesar film but it feels that way (and is probably necessary). If it's late in Caesar's life things could be different from "Dawn". The beach and the "wild child" suggest hints of the original. But they're not talkin'.

So far I'm pleased with how things are going with the movie as Matt Reeves joins J. Lee Thompson as the only directors to do more than one POTA movie. They have more time than any POTA film has ever had and we'll see the result in 2017.

While watching an early version of his pal Matt Reeves' "Dawn of the POTA", "Star Wars 7" director J. J. Abrams decided to hire Andy Serkis as the movie's motion capture guru and also cast him as one of only two motion capture characters. Not too risky a choice considering Andy's iconic status as motion capture actor ("Lord of the Rings", "King Kong", "Ape" something). He also has his own motion capture studio, the Imaginarium.

So anyway, the movie comes out next month and now Andy is talking about his secret character (who sounds awesome and probably won't be unveiled until the movie). He says it's the first character he's done where he's been on set and how no idea about it's look or sound. Indeed, the character continued to be worked on in post-production, with Andy being directed long distance (as he does with "Apes").

There's still no pictures of Snoke (not even on the avalanche of merchandise that is already out). But Andy has given some tidbits to "Entertainment Weekly" (fun fact: the interview took place on the set of "War For the POTA"). Andy: "Supreme Leader Snoke is quite an enigmatic character and strangely vulnerable at the same time as being quite powerful… He has suffered a lot of damage".

Director Abrams has tried to go as old school as possible, with makeup and sets, built creature, locations, etc. (but he'd be crazy not to use the advantages of CG when necessary). Andy sez only 2 characters are motion captured, Snoke and the pirate Maz Kanata. In both cases they couldn't have been done with makeup: "The scale of him, for instance, is one reason. He is large. He appears tall. And also just the facial design – you couldn't have gotten there with prosthetics. It's too extreme… he has a very distinctive, idiosyncratic bone structure and facial structure. You could never have done it". Sounds cool, but he could also be describing Jar Jar Binks. We'll know if they got it right in a month.

ew.com/article/2015/11/12/star-wars-%20andy-serkis-supreme-leader-snoke

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They're only shooting 5 days so it's probably a location they want. Won't be essential to the story (unless it's a coda – who knows about the future?).

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That's still only one scene. There not going to shoot for 5 days to show nuclear winter unless it's a one-scene coda. Besides, global warming would cancel out nuclear winter.

Plus shooting motion capture is more complicated. Every shot has to be done 3 times.

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Coldplay monkeys around with motion capture in this preview of their upcoming music video. They did the title song for Rupert "Rise of the POTA" Wyatt's first feature "The Escapist".

youtube.com/watch?v=gmbNATMRcsA

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Maybe the new Ben Hur, Jack Houston, can buy it (Toby "Koba" Kebbell as Messala).

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The director of the next Apes film has tweeted there will be an "announcement" during "The Walking Dead" on Sunday. Whatever that means. It seems too early for a TV commercial. But I'm game.

The official logo for the film was also released.

Collider.com/war-for-the-planet-of-the-apes-logo-trailer

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I can't imagine what the benefit is paying for air time so far from release. Sometimes studios do this type of thing for the internet or early teaser trailers. But I don't remember anyone doing a TV commercial this far away. "You can see this movie in a couple of years".

But if they can put enough footage together, maybe with one ape shot like the teaser for "Dawn", I'll go ape. I doubt they're monkeying around with what TV costs (and it's not Fox's own station).

The Ape folks seem to consider "The Walking Dead" the sweet spot, probably because a) it's very popular and cultish; and b) it's post-apocalyptic like "Apes".

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Matt Reeves just tweeted a pic of zombie Koba. Whatever they've got planned tonight, sounds like he's into it.

Twitter.com/mattreevesLA

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I'm a big fan of the redo of "Battlestar Galactica" from a decade ago. It felt similar to POTA to me (sci-fi social commentary with the rough edges intact). As I've said before it even has some POTA references, thanks to it's main producer being a POTA fan.

So it's fun to see that Alessandro Julian has joined the cast of "War For the POTA" as a character named Spear. In BSG he played Gaeta, kind of the Sulu of the show (though it becomes more complicated). His character even got his own song that he performed, "Gaeta's Lament".

youtube.com/watch?v=NY3gY48pxjA

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felix_Gaeta

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Rory wuz correct, it's a "be an ape" contest.

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The first look is pretty much what we expected. Nekid apes vs. modern human soldiers. I've heard one of the sets is an ape prison.

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I doubt it. Reeves and Serkis seem to be pretty good guys and they were at the forefront of this contest. It could've just been an impersonal ad. I think they'd do due diligence to meet the fan and give him a good day. And if the person has some talent with motion capture it might lead to a job with Andy's company (I'm sure he's always looking for raw talent, motion capture isn't for everybody).

If the contest sucks I'm sure we'll hear about it on social media.

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