Is 2011 the summer of the good prequel? With X-Men: First Class hitting theaters and earning mostly good reviews, it would be great to see that trend continue with Rise of the Planet of the Apes. The film, which stars James Franco, Brian Cox, and Frieda Pinto, hits theaters in August, but the latest trailer seems to show much of that uprising in action. Check it out…
You can say this for the Rise of the Planet of the Apes trailer , it bears no resemblance to the last attempt to relaunch the Planet of the Apes franchise. This one suggests no connection to the other films in a good way. Rupert Wyatt‘s film is a revamp of the fourth film Conquest of the Planet of the Apes without the time travel, and instead has scientists led by James Franco making super-smart apes that then turn on the human populace. The film opens August 5. Check out the trailer…
Veteran actor Brian Cox is the latest star to join the talented cast of the Planet of the Apes prequel entitled, Rise of the Apes. The film currently stars James Franco, Freida Pinto, Andy Serkis, and John Lithgow. According to The Wrap, Cox is the newest addition to the 2011 summer blockbuster that will revive the Apes franchise that was last seen in 2001 with Tim Burton and Mark Wahlberg‘s remake.
The 3-D film Battle for Terra takes place in the distant future on the alien inhabited planet of the same name. It’s a peaceful world where gravity doesn’t exist, and it’s occupants float from place to place. On the surface it seems as if it’s citizens have no knowledge of war or suffering, just harmony and equality. When a human space colony which includes the last existing members of mankind attack Terra in an attempt to colonize the planet, the true nature of the Terrians is revealed. A full on battle for Terra’s land and resources erupts with the future of both sides hanging in the balance.
So what’s the deal with this film? They’ve had trouble getting it into theaters for the past 2-3 years which makes me a little apprehensive. It’s either a great movie that has had trouble finding a market or it’s a bad movie that someone has finally decided to take on, knowing that they’ll make back their expenditures in DVD sales. So let’s look at what this film has going for it.
The film has been screened at the Toronto Film Festival, the Tribeca Film Festival, Fantastic Fest, and many other festivals over the past two years, and has won three awards along the way including one for Best Feature and another for Beat Animated Feature. It was originally titled Terra but has now been named Battle for Terra. Perhaps that will help it sell? And if nothing else it has a really impressive cast with voices by Evan Rachel Wood, Brian Cox, Luke Wilson, David Cross, Justin Long, Amanda Peet, Dennis Quaid, Chris Evans and more.
Sounds pretty good until you hear that the writer also wrote The Nutty Professor. Scary.
Check out the trailer and decide for yourself…
