This week, 20th Century Fox kicks of the marketing machine for their upcoming Ape film, recently retitled Rise of the Planet of the Apes. We’re getting the trailer sometime this week and attached to Rio this weekend. On Wednesday the Avatar Facebook page will debut a behind-the-scenes featurette on WETA’s ape creation and today, the official Facebook page (via ComingSoon) debuted the first, brief clip of the ape in action.
I’ve heard that the film focuses heavily on this character and it is experimental for a summer movie of its kind. The footage is certainly impressive, but I wouldn’t call it photo-realistic. That judgement can be reserved when we see an HD version. For now, check it out below.
Rupert Wyatt’s blockbuster stars James Franco, John Lithgow, Freida Pinto, Andy Serkis (in mo-cap), Brian Cox, Tom Felton and David Oyelowo. Franco plays young scientist Will Rodman, “who makes a breakthrough while studying the development of intelligence in apes. Set in present day San Francisco, the film is a reality-based cautionary tale, a science fiction/science fact blend, where man’s own experiments with genetic engineering lead to the development of intelligence in apes and the onset of a war for supremacy.”
Rise of the Planet of the Apes hits theaters August 5th, 2011.
What do you think of the first glimpse? Can the film succeed with the main character being an WETA-created ape?