20th Century Fox will be working with the Jane Goodall Institute to help save chimpanzees in support of the upcoming release of War for the Planet of the Apes. A new video featuring clips from recent Planet of the Apes films accompanied by narration by Jane Goodall debuted to announce the partnership between the studio and the non-profit agency. According to Fox, the partnership will help 150 chimpanzees housed at the Institute’s Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Center in Republic of Congo.
“I think that the Planet of the Apes series makes people think about the apes and perhaps our relationship to them,” stated Dr. Jane Goodall. “And anything that makes us think about our own humanity in relation to the rest of the animal kingdom is important. So I think the series has helped.”
“It is an honor and a privilege to partner with the Jane Goodall Institute in providing needed care for our closest living animal relatives,” said War for the Planet of the Apes director Matt Reeves. “Over the course of filming Caesar’s cinematic journey, it’s fascinated me to learn so much about apes and chimpanzees, these amazing sentient animals who organize, strategize and even socialize in much the same way as humans. Our hope is this reimagined Apes franchise will spark a fresh awareness, compassion and respect for these majestic species for generations to come.”
The Jane Goodall Institute is recognizing the important partnership by naming the Tchindzoulou Island housing facility after Planet of the Apes‘ lead chimpanzee star, Caesar (played by Andy Serkis).
“One of the main threats to great apes is hunting and wildlife trafficking. Many of the chimpanzees rescued by JGI were orphaned to be taken as pets or for ‘roadside attractions,’” said Dr. Carlos Drews, the Institute’s executive director. “While use of great apes in entertainment may be diminishing in some regions, it is increasing in others. Not only is there no need to use chimpanzees and other great apes in entertainment, but it is a moral imperative to find alternatives. With films like War for the Planet of the Apes using effective and magnificent human actor performance capture and computer generated imagery, it demonstrates to the world a better way forward for chimps and all animals.”
War for the Planet of the Apes stars Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson, Steve Zahn, Amiah Miller, Karin Konoval, Judy Greer, and Terry Notary. Fox will launch the new Apes movie in theaters on July 14, 2017.
The Plot: 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.
