The humans generally play second fiddle in the Planet of the Apes franchise, but that doesn't mean that there aren't a few key figures to watch. In fact, every film features at least one human who makes a profound impact on Caesar's (mo-cap master Andy Serkis) mentality as the leader of the apes. War for the Planet of the Apes is not different in that regard, and a new clip has just surfaced showing that we will indeed be introduced to a young Nova in the upcoming threequel. Check out the video below to see the classic Apes character for yourself.
For a franchise that started off as a B-movie sci-fi classic, Planet of the Apes has really figured out how to dial up its emotional punch in recent years. The clip introduces us to a child called Nova and shows how her connection with Caesar and his apes (particularly Maurice) grows as they learn to trust each other. There are notable parallels between the younger Caesar in the original Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Nova, and it's obvious that the film will lean into the theme of lost innocence in a provocative and thoughtful way.
Nova's importance to War for the Planet of the Apes cannot be overstated. Aside from the fact that the character has a clear and present emotional connection with Caesar, she's also the most apparent tie to the original Planet of the Apes continuity. Specifically, Nova is the young, mute woman who teams up with Charlton Heston's Taylor during the events of the first Planet of the Apes -- which means that the gap between old and new is getting shorter and shorter with each passing film.
This is ultimately what makes the rebooted Apes franchise so distinct from other recently revived franchises. Rather than jump right into a familiar story, Matt Reeves' series has taken its time and developed plot threats that have taken years to become familiar to longtime fans of the series. If nothing else, this shows a certain amount of patience that's almost unheard of in blockbuster filmmaking, and it will be interesting to see how close War for the Planet of the Apes comes to the first film over time.
Despite the tenderness exhibited between Nova and the apes in this clip, it's already clear that War for the Planet of the Apes won't be a simple character study in human/ape relationships. The film will primarily center on a growing conflict between Caesar and a human military officer (Woody Harrelson) as each of these bitter leaders leads their respective armies in the last stand to decide the fate of the planet. War for the Planet of the Apes promises to bring us the full-blown military conflict that we've been waiting to see from this franchise, and something tells us that it won't disappoint.
CinemaBlend will keep you posted with any and all relevant updates related to War for the Planet of the Apes as new information about the project becomes available to us. The third installment in the rebooted Apes franchise will debut later this summer on July 14, 2017.
