Dawn of the Planet of the Apes was, for us anyway, one of the best sci-fi films we've seen in the last ten years.

It had everything that makes the genre so great - intelligence, smart writing, great performances, incredible special effects and a terrifying story. It really did call back to those old '70s thrillers like WestWorld, the original Planet of the Apes series and even a hint of Logan's Run in there as well. In short, it was great.

So naturally, when we heard that Matt Reeves, director of Dawn, was returning for the follow-up, we were excited. However, the first official image for the film has kicked that excitement into overdrive.

Take a look.

It might not look like much, but fans of the series will note that it's a serious call-back to the original Planet of the Apes with Charlton Heston. Remember the bit where (SPOILER) he finds the Statue of Liberty on the beach?

War of the Planet of the Apes isn't due on screens until 2017, but we do know that Woody Harrelson has landed himself the plum role of the film's villain, whilst Andy Serkis and Judy Greer are due to return as Caesar and Cornelia, respectively.

What's interesting as well, we think, is that pretty much most of the core cast and crew has returned for this. Matt Reeves returning as director, Mark Bomback as writer and the cast as well. It's always a good sign when everyone's willing to go back and, of course, the Planet of the Apes series really does lend itself to sequels because the story has such depth.

 

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