When Rise of the Planet of the Apes became a $453 million worldwide hit, no one was shocked more than 20th Century Fox parent company NewsCorp. So impressed it was with its performance that a sequel was greenlit in no time flat. Now the first bit of dealmaking for actors has been done. But the first to sign on isn’t James Franco. It’s Andy Serkis, who did all the motion-capture performing for his role as lead ape Caesar.
Director Rupert Wyatt’s original deal had a sequel option so he’s in place, as are screenwriters Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver.
Serkis, who also played the CG-ed Gollum in The Lord of the Rings trilogy and did the motion capture of King Kong for King Kong, seems to be destined for an honorary Oscar at some point. But what about a possible Oscar nomination for his role as Caesar? With his performance, by far the biggest highlight of the film, there was early speculation if 20th Century Fox should start an Oscar campaign. While motion-capture is still new, there’s yet to be a nomination earned.
As far as future projects for Serkis, he has option deals to reprise his role as Captain Haddock in the sequels of The Adventures of Tintin.
