After going through an unnecessary title change, Rise of the Planet of the Apes piqued our interest with a dramatic, four-second clip of a photorealistic ape two days ago. Effects powerhouse Weta Digital will tease us even more Wednesday when it offers another glimpse at just how far along the sci-fi prequel's creatures are on the evolutionary tree.
"Being able to see each level of evolution that ... Weta achieves with performance-capture technology is like having front-of-house seats to Dr. Frankenstein's creation layer," Rise of the Planet of the Apes director Rupert Wyatt told Wired.com in an e-mail about the movie's effects.
"It's been mind-blowing for me as a filmmaker to be part of something never fully realized before: The digital creation of a flesh-and-blood humanoid creature that is seamlessly photorealistic. It heralds the beginning of a whole new period in FX-driven cinema."
During the Apes online preview – which will live-stream at 2:30 p.m. Pacific Wednesday from Weta headquarters in Wellington, New Zealand – Wyatt and Weta's Dan Lemmon and Joe Letteri will show off more of the movie's digital magic. Andy Serkis, the Charlie Chaplin of mo-cap who portrayed Gollum in The Lord of the Rings and plays Ceasar in the Apes prequel, is also scheduled to provide commentary. You can watch Weta's demonstration on the Facebook page for Avatar or in the embed below.
Until then, feast your eyes on the four seconds of footage above, which show off the kind of digital magic Weta brought to Avatar and The Lord of the Rings movies. The short clip showcases a brooding ape – presumably Ceasar – before the simian uprising. Rise of the Planet of the Apes is slated for release on Aug. 5, with a full trailer set to debut Thursday.
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