20th Century Fox has come to terms with actor Andy Serkis to return for a Rise of the Planet of the Apes sequel. The actor had only signed on for the first movie in his original deal, but it isn’t known how many sequels this new seven-figure deal includes.
Andy Serkis delivered a critically-acclaimed performance as the ape Caesar, which he portrayed via motion-capture. It isn’t known if James Franco or Freida Pinto will return, since the sequel is still in the early stages of development. Director Rupert Wyatt and screenwriters/producers Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver will also return for the sequel.
It is also said that 20th Century Fox plans to wage an Oscar campaign for Andy Serkis‘ performance in Rise of the Planet of the Apes. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences haven’t recognized motion-capture work in the past, despite many fans clamoring for the actor to be recognized for his work in The Lord of the Rings and King Kong. We’ll have to wait and see if the Academy is more receptive to a motion-capture performance this time around.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes was released August 5th, 2011 and stars James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Brian Cox, Tom Felton, David Oyelowo, Tyler Labine, Jamie Harris. The film is directed by Rupert Wyatt.
