Revealed by his work on the adaptation of the “Labyrinth” trilogy, Wes Ball revisits a cult science fiction universe with “Planet of the Apes: The New Kingdom”, in theaters on May 8. Meeting with the director.
On May 8, spectators will return to Planet of the Apes. And a new universe which, several generations after the fight for freedom of Caesar and his companions, is now under the domination of a tyrannical leader while humans have returned to the wild state. First part of a new trilogy, The New Kingdom is entrusted to Wes Ball, who had skillfully and successfully transposed The Labyrinth. Three months before the release of the feature film, he reveals his approach and his ambitions. Encounter.
How did you experience the pressure of continuing this saga?
Wes Ball (director): This series premiered in 1968 and it’s amazing to be a part of it after all these years. It was not an easy thing to succeed in the mission of continuing this franchise. We have a duty to honor what has been accomplished with this legendary saga. But we’re not trying to continue what’s been created previously: we’re really trying to create a new vision for this universe. I think this new film goes further. The message is that the more we learn, the more masters we become of our thinking.
“We’re really trying to create a new vision for this universe”
Was Andy Serkis, hero of the previous trilogy, involved in this film?
Of course, especially since I wanted him to be part of this creation. And even though he wasn’t selected to play one of the new characters, I shared the script with him and we talked a lot about the world of Planet of the Apes. Andy Serkis allowed us to stay true to the spirit of the franchise while making a fresh start.
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It also allowed us to better train the new actors who had to become monkeys. Not pretending to be monkeys but truly becoming one. We asked our actors to undergo several training courses to become the best monkey possible. They took classes in a “monkey training camp”: they had to wear monkey costumes and really get into their skin. It was an intense moment for them. We also worked with an artist from Cirque du Soleil to prepare our actors and create a choreography of their movements. In the end, you can’t pretend to be a monkey, you have to become a monkey!
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So the approach to creating the apes is the same as in the trilogy with Andy Serkis?
Yes, we use real actors for the motion capture of all the characters. And we shoot entirely in natural settings. It’s really complicated to make this world built with all these visual effects realistic. I knew this film was going to be a real challenge but I didn’t realize how much!
“The memory of a past forever gone”
And there is this fascinating new character, Proximus Caesar…
He’s a bit like Genghis Kan from Planet of the Apes! He wants to unite all the apes under his rule and systematically get rid of the few humans who are still alive. Humans are called “Echoes”. As if they were the memory of a past forever gone. Most young apes don’t even know that the planet was once populated by humans. Proximus has succeeded in domesticating electricity and the art of sculpting copper. It is covered with copper and not gold. Copper has become the ultimate wealth of these monkeys. Proximus is truly the king, the emperor of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.
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Tell us about this kingdom, and the visual universe of the film?
I think if we have a big “reset”, everything will become incredibly beautiful again. Nature will reclaim its rights and the planet will flourish. Even if, underneath everything, there are the vestiges of our civilization, like a ghost that remains suspended. Visually, I tried to rise to the level of Avatar but without having the budget of James Cameron.
“We see the reflection of our humanity through these adventures”
And it seems that there is a fascination for the conquest of Space with this new component?
Yes and I think if we have the chance to explore all the ideas that I have in mind, through three films, then we will have a new vision of the conquest of space and what that means. I think in this movie, if you look closely, you’ll see what we have in mind for future movies.
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Do you think this movie says something about us humans?
That’s what these films bring us. We see the reflection of our humanity through these adventures. I think this film further highlights our desperation and greed. But on the other hand, I think it also highlights the compassion and empathy that we are capable of. It focuses on the importance of education: what we learn can liberate us, knowledge is like a good virus that can save humanity, or, in this film, save the planet of the apes. In the end, this film asks the crucial question of whether apes and humans can live together. I think the themes of racism and class struggle, which were central to the films of the sixties, are still relevant today.
Can a new audience see this film without being lost, without the reference of previous films?
Absolutely and I did everything so that any viewer could have a good time with this film, without having seen any of the films in this legendary franchise. I hope that this film will make a whole new audience want to discover the other films in this fascinating universe.
Comments collected on February 12 in Los Angeles by Emmanuel Itier