Every year that goes by in which Andy Serkis isn't seriously considered for an Oscar nomination is another year wasted. That ship conceivably could have sailed once The Lord of the Rings movies wrapped since Gollum was Serkis' strongest character up to that point in his career, but he's gone on to improve upon his motion-capture performances each and every time he steps into the technologically advanced suit. And that's without even mentioning the growing number of motion-capture proteges who have studied under Serkis. He recently brought us King Kong and Supreme Leader Snoke, to name but two more, but his current achievement is as charismatic leader of the Planet of the Apes franchise, Caesar.

20th Century Fox has just released a new featurette showcasing Serkis' amazing performance and Weta Digital's incredible VFX work for War for the Planet of the Apes. Clearly, there's a reason the New Zealand-based company has 6 Oscars for Best Visual Effects along with half a dozen BAFTA and VES awards each. What's frustrating is that VFX tends to get the lion's share of awards talk while the actors beneath the computer-generated make-up remain overlooked. Hopefully someday this will change, but thankfully Serkis and actors like him continue to push the boundaries of what motion-capture performance can really do.

Check out the behind-the-scenes VFX featurette below:

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.

And for more on the latest Apes film, be sure to get caught up with our recent coverage below:

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Image via 20th Century Fox
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Image via 20th Century Fox
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Image via 20th Century Fox
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Image via 20th Century Fox

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