There is no question that Rise of the Planet of the Apes surprised all of us when it came out this summer. Between a smart script and some groundbreaking visual effects, the movie quickly became the best blockbuster to be released all year, and it opened the door to a brand new Apes franchise. But nothing in the film overshadowed Andy Serkis' amazing motion-capture performance as the CGI ape, Caesar.
Now, Deadline is reporting that 20th Century Fox has locked Serkis up for the film's inevitable sequel with a solid seven-figure deal. He will once again play the role of Caesar, which sheds at least some light on the details of the sequel. Serkis will be joined again by director Rupert Wyatt, and screenwriters Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver. It's refreshing to see that Fox is aiming to carry the creative vision from the first film over to the sequel, but it's still unknown if James Franco or Freida Pinto will return as the human leads.
It's no secret that Serkis' portrayal of Caesar simply made this movie work, so fans of his performance should be happy to know that 20th Century Fox is actually going to start a campaign to get him nominated for an Oscar. With the emotion and believability that he brought to the role, you would be hard-pressed to find many actors who turned in a better performance this year.
[via Deadline]
