Andy Serkis Cast as Caesar in RISE OF THE APES

POTA fans… this is huge! Variety reports that 20th Century Fox has cast another actor in their PLANET OF THE APES upcoming prequel and its none other than Lord of the Rings’ Andy Serkis (Gollum). Serkis will star opposite James Franco in the prequel RISE OF THE APES as Caesar, the pivotal main character, who leads the revolt against the humans.

Franco and Serkis star opposite Freida Pinto and John Lithgow. Serkis, who starred as Gollum in Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings” franchise and as Kong in Jackson’s “King Kong,” plays the chimp who leads the uprising among the apes after having been raised by Lithgow and Franco’s characters, who are father and son in the film.

Set in present-day San Francisco, APES deals with the aftermath of man’s experiments with genetic engineering that lead to the development of intelligence in apes and the onset of a war for supremacy. Franco plays a scientist who becomes a crucial figure in the war between humans and apes.

Director Rupert Wyatt begins lensing the origins pic next month. Wyatt will direct RISE OF APES from a script by Amanda Silver and Rick Jaffa, who will produce with Chernin Entertainment’s Peter Chernin and Dylan Clark. RISE OF THE APES will be in theaters June 24, 2011.

On Serkis being cast…great, fine. Guess I’m biased, but there will only ever be one Caesar, portrayed by the late Roddy McDowall, in the 4th and 5th films of the original franchise, CONQUEST OF THE PLANET OF THE APES and BATTLE FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES.

Source: Variety