Dubai Director Wes Ball Shares Insight into Latest Sci-Fi Flick
Dubai: Wes Ball, the filmmaker behind dystopian hits like “Maze Runner” and “Ruin,” was initially hesitant when approached to direct “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” the newest installment in the iconic sci-fi franchise with a history of 10 films.
“I was skeptical,” Ball told Arab News. “I’m a big fan of this franchise. I grew up on the original 1968 film. I love the previous three movies in the reboot series. What Andy Serkis and Matt Reeves achieved in those movies was incredible. I questioned the need for a sequel.
“I wasn’t fully sold on the idea until we developed a concept that allowed us to be bold and break away from the past films,” he continued. “We wanted to create something new, fresh, and original, with a purpose and not just for the sake of another sequel. We put a lot of effort into crafting a story and characters that felt unique and worthy of being the 11th film in the franchise.”
“Witcher” star Freya Allan plays Mae (centre). (Courtesy of 20th Century Studios)
“Kingdom” serves as a sequel to 2017’s “War of the Planet of the Apes,” set almost 300 years after the events of the previous film.
During those centuries, ape civilizations have thrived, becoming the dominant species on Earth. Humans have regressed into a primitive form, a mere shadow of their ancestors.
The film follows the coming-of-age story of a young ape named Noa (Owen Teague) as he battles against the tyrannical ape leader Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand), with the help of a young woman named Mae (Freya Allan).
The tyrannical ape leader Proximus Caesar is played by Kevin Durand. (20th Century Studios)
Before filming began, the cast underwent six weeks of ape training with movement coach Alain Gauthier. Teague also studied chimpanzees to prepare for his role.
“I learned how similar I am to apes. I might be more ape than human,” Teague said. “Their political nature and complex social hierarchy fascinated me. They use strategies, form coalitions, campaign for power, lie, deceive, and backstab. It’s no wonder we share a common ancestry.”
“Witcher” star Allan, the sole significant human character in the film, credits her experience on the fantasy Netflix show for helping with the stunts in “Kingdom.”
“I gained confidence from my work on ‘Witcher.’ I enjoy physical challenges and find stunts exhilarating. There were new experiences in this film, like water scenes and lots of falling. I was always bruised,” she shared.
Filmmaker Wes Ball on the set of ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.’ (20th century Studios)
Centuries after the fall of human civilization is familiar territory for Ball, who helmed the “Maze Runner” series.
“I seem to gravitate towards these worlds for some reason,” he said. “But unlike ‘Maze Runner,’ where the world was dirty and dangerous, the ‘Apes’ world is beautiful. It’s nature reclaiming the Earth, evolving into a new Eden. I hope viewers see it as a lost world, not dystopian. It’s a lovely place to explore, despite the haunting reminders of mankind’s mistakes.”