While Andy Serkis’ Caesar was last seen in 2018’s War for the Planet of the Apes, he’s been gone a much longer time in the upcoming sequel, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Nearly 300 years have passed since Caesar’s death, and apes are now the dominant species on Earth. However, Caesar would probably be horrified by his self-proclaimed successor, Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand). Especially since Proximus twists and perverts the meaning of Caesar’s teachings while enslaving apes and humans alike.
Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the newly released preview clip from Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is how many of Proximus’ followers hang on his every word, especially when he gets them to chant “apes together strong.”
The only ape in this scene who isn’t in Proximus’ thrall is Noa (Owen Teague), the young and heroic ape who is the new protagonist of the franchise. It’s unclear if Noa is a prisoner or if he has infiltrated Proximus’ seaside fortress. Either way, he’s vastly outnumbered by Proximus’ followers.
20th Century Studios has also released a new video where Serkis expresses his admiration for director Wes Ball’s work on Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, and the feeling is apparently mutual for Ball.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will be released on Friday, May 10.
