If Gollum from the Lord Of The Rings series and Caesar from the Planet of the Apes franchise are cult characters today, Andy Serkis is the man to be thanked. With his unique talent for bringing animation to life through his voice, Serkis’ contribution to these iconic roles has been equal to any award-winning performance by a lead actor.
In Rise of the Planet of the Apes, the voice artist sent goosebumps down fans’ spines in Ceaser’s awakening scene, and subsequently impressed with his deep understanding of the character’s nuances in the sequel. Though Caesar sadly dies in Matt Reeves’ War for the Planet of the Apes, there is a possibility that Serkis could still feature in the next film directed by Wes Ball.
Could Andy Serkis Voice Another Ape After Caesar?
While War for the Planet of the Apes ended on a hopeful note, there was also big tragedy with the demise of the film’s protagonist Caesar, voiced brilliantly by Andy Serkis. The Marvel star brought depth and powerful honesty to this CGI-generated role and ensured that Caesar touched a chord with audiences worldwide.
While many fans were bitterly disappointed to see the end of Serkis in the franchise, Wes Ball who is helming the next film titled Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, has created a sliver of hope. The director spoke to Slash Film and hinted that the Avengers: Age of Ultron actor could still return to the franchise in another role.
“We talked about it, for sure. Like, ‘Could you play another ape character?’ I entertained that thought for a long time, because I thought it would be f***ing cool,”
While Serkis has not made it to the official ensemble yet, Wes Ball’s statement regarding the actor’s future could just get fans excited about the possibility of seeing him back into the franchise.
How Andy Serkis Made Caesar Come Alive
Andy Serkis is arguably Hollywood’s biggest expert on motion capture acting. The talented actor and voice artist is credited for bringing to life many significant CGI-generated characters and infusing them with complex human emotions. After Lord of the Rings’ Gollum, Serkis’ stunning portrayal of the ape Caesar in the Planet of the Apes series, has won him praise globally.
Portraying the myriad emotions of anger, sadness, and confusion in a graphically created character is no small feat. Serkis spoke to Rolling Stone about how he approached the role of Caesar and the methods he used to make the character relatable and realistic.
“I always played him as a human in ape skin. Until he realizes he’s obviously an ape. He’s a very empathetic and troubled character. He’s deeply conflicted.”
Serkis went on to add that he based Caesar on an actually bipedal chimpanzee named Oliver and used him as a reference point to understand the animalistic instincts of the role.
