Why Caesar Actor Andy Serkis Didn't Return For Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes
After the newest "Planet of the Apes" trilogy wrapped up in 2017 with director Matt Reeves' stunning, Biblical epic "War for the Planet of the Apes," fans were left with two pressing questions. One, why the heck wasn't Andy Serkis ever recognized by the Oscars for his genuinely award-worthy performance as Caesar? Secondly, would the actor ever return for future movies down the line, despite the fact that Caesar meets a heartbreaking but poignant end by the conclusion of the film? There's precedent within this franchise for actors once again taking the lead role in subsequent sequels as a different character, of course — look no further than Roddy McDowall starring in the original "Planet of the Apes" and "Escape from the Planet of the Apes" as the chimpanzee Cornelius before coming back in "Conquest" and eventually "Battle" to play the role of Cornelius' son and Caesar.
So why not keep the tradition going, from one Caesar to the next?
Alas, that wasn't meant to be with "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes." But in the newest issue of Empire magazine, "Kingdom" director Wes Ball revealed that a Serkis reunion wasn't the pipe dream some may have thought it was. In a bittersweet irony, however, it seems that the actor's incredible performance and screen presence actually worked against him, in a way. According to Ball:
"We talked about it, for sure. Like, 'Could you play another ape character?' I entertained that thought for a long time, because I thought it would be f***ing cool. And Matt [Reeves] would always say, 'Andy is the best actor I've ever worked with.'
"He's just too iconic, in a way. So we decided it's probably best to think about future movies where maybe he can come in."
Not my Serkis, not my apes
It's not all bad news, though! Wes Ball's statement about potentially bringing Andy Serkis back in "future movies" sure feels intriguing, but his presence will still be felt in "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes." Later in Empire's big cover feature for the upcoming sequel, new leading star Owen Teague (who plays the ape Noa) explained that he had a very personal connection with his predecessor — in more ways than one:
"I became an actor because I saw Andy Serkis play King Kong when I was a child. I was so in love with that character, and I remember my mom explained to me, 'That's a person in motion-capture and that's his performance.' I thought, 'Oh, I can do that!' So when this came around, I was sure I wouldn't get it because it was too good [to be true]."
The 25-year-old Teague would've been only seven years old when Serkis starred in Peter Jackson's "King Kong" remake in 2006 (good Lord, time truly does come for us all), but clearly Serkis left a mark on the future actor.
While Serkis isn't credited with any official role in the upcoming "Apes" movie, he did help pass on the torch by sharing his thoughts and advice to Teague for what undoubtedly was an intimidating and challenging role ... even before factoring in the motion capture of it all. According to Teague, "I Zoomed with [Serkis] and he said, 'How can I help?' He gave me a lot of ape-related advice. He said, 'You're not impersonating an ape. You're putting on a costume of that character.' So it becomes a really internal process, as opposed to an imitation."
"Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" will monkey its way into theaters May 24, 2024.