July 2014 was supposed to be a huge month for two much-anticipated sequels: Fast & Furious 7 and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. However, in the wake of Paul Walker’s passing and a halted production, it looks that the month will not belong to fast and furious cars, but instead to those damn, dirty apes. And a first trailer for Matt Reeves’ sequel to the 2011 sci-fi thriller should be hitting theatres shortly, possibly before the end of 2013.
According to a tweet from Coming Soon, the trailer for Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is now rated and “should be coming soon.” Although Fox has not announced a release date online nor an attachment to any film yet, this is exciting news nonetheless.
It would make sense for Dawn’s trailer to debut in front of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. First and foremost, that film will have a lot of eyeballs during the holiday season. Secondly, the success of Andy Serkis’ motion-capture performance in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy probably contributed to the existence of Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which featured Serkis in the starring role as Caesar.
Another possibility is that the 20th Century Fox release could tease audiences before one of its own films. This Christmas, the studio will release two films aimed at families, Walking with Dinosaurs and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. If the trailer plays before either of those, a betting man would choose the latter, which promises better box office and a higher turnout of teens and adults.
In Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, which takes place a decade after the climax of its predecessor, Caesar has a wife (a motion captured Judy Greer) and child. Meanwhile, the genetically evolved nation of apes still deem him a leader, as the apes plan to wage war on the humans. Joining this cast of humans is Gary Oldman, Jason Clarke, Keri Russell and Kodi Smit-McPhee.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is set for release on July 18, 2014.
