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I absolutely loved everything about director Matt Reeves’ War for the Planet of the Apes. It’s one of those rare and special films that is not only a huge commercial Hollywood blockbuster, but also a piece of art. As you watch the film -- which opens this weekend in theaters -- you will probably feel, like I did, that you’re watching real apes on screen. While I could go on and on about Andy Serkis’ amazing performance as Caesar and how he absolutely needs to be recognized come Oscar season, I need to also point out that all the actors involved deserve special mention for delivering outstanding performances, including Woody Harrelson as “The Colonel.” Unlike a lot of movies where the antagonist is an afterthought in the writing process, Harrelson delivers a fantastic performance and creates a three-dimensional character that isn’t a stereotypical villain. War for the Planet of the Apes is easily one of the best films I’ve seen this year, and it absolutely needs to be seen on a movie screen. For more read Matt Golberg’s review.

Recently I got to talk with Andy Serkis about the making of the film. He talked about what he wanted to do with Caesar that he hadn’t done in the previous films, how they decided on the amount of dialogue he would say, how new technology impacted the film, if they had any big changes in the scripting process, and a lot more.

As most of you know, the sequel finds Caesar (Serkis) on something of a revenge mission against The Colonel (Harrelson), who has amassed a human army at a compound deep in the snow. The film also stars Steve Zahn, Amiah Miller, Karin Konoval, Judy Greer, and Terry Notary.

Check out what Andy Serkis had to say in the player above and below is exactly what we talked about followed by the official synopsis and some images.

Andy Serkis:

• What did he want to do with Caesar that he hadn’t done in the previous films?
• How did they decide on how much dialogue Caesar would say?
• Did they have any big story changes during the development of the script?
• How did new technology impact the film?
• I try and ask him about playing Supreme Leader Snoke….
• When will WB start promoting Jungle Book?

Here’s the official synopsis for War for the Planet of the Apes:

In War for the Planet of the Apes, the third chapter of the critically acclaimed blockbuster franchise, Caesar and his apes are forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans led by a ruthless Colonel.  After the apes suffer unimaginable losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind.  As the journey finally brings them face to face, Caesar and the Colonel are pitted against each other in an epic battle that will determine the fate of both their species and the future of the planet.