Meet Steve Zahn’s Bad Ape in new clip from War for the Planet of the Apes

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

Rebooting an iconic franchise is usually a fool's errand, but against all odds, 20th Century Fox's reboot of the PLANET OF THE APES franchise has been exemplary. RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES was a very welcome surprise and it's sequel, DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, actually managed to outshine its predecessor. With WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES nearly upon us, we may very well have a near-perfect PLANET OF THE APES trilogy on our hands. The upcoming film will find Caesar (Andy Serkis) and his band of simian brothers taking part in an epic battle which will determine the fate of both humans and apes as well as the future of the planet. Plenty of new characters will be introduced, including an unknown, newly evolved ape who escaped from a zoo named "Bad Ape" (Steve Zahn).

An extended clip from WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES has been released which introduces us to the slightly unstable new ape.

For the first time in the PLANET OF THE APES trilogy, Caesar and his apes have discovered a new ape outside of their tribe, marking a critical moment in the war between Humans and Apes. Although WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES is expected to bring closure to Caesar's arc, it doesn't necessarily mean that the franchise will come to an end. Matt Reeves told JoBlo's Eric Walkuski that they're "starting to think about what comes next, what comes next in the storytelling universe as it relates to the other apes movies, what comes next after this trilogy from a storytelling perspective." If they can continue to keep the quality up, I'd absolutely love to see more PLANET OF THE APES movies.

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.

WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES is set for a July 14, 2017 release.