Planet Of The Apes prequel signs Lithgow

Planet Of The Apes

Planet Of The Apes prequel Rise Of The Apes has signed John Lithgow and Freida Pinto.

The duo will join the already-cast James Franco in the belated entry into the film series.

Franco plays a scientist who is attempting to create a cure for Alzheimer’s by testing on apes. But when one trial causes test subject Caeser to rapidly evolve, Franco takes the cheeky chap into his home and away from prying eyes.

Heat Vision report that Lithgow will play Franco’s “Alzheimer’s-stricken father” (hello motivation), while Pinto “is the movie’s female lead, a primatologist”. We assume Franco will get primal with her.

Rupert Wyatt is directing, having helmed the decent if not widely-known The Escapist back in 2008. His Sebastian Faulks adaptation Birdsong is also out soon.

Lithgow most recently earned himself a Golden Globe for his turn as a serial killer in TV’s Dexter (and showed face in Amy Adams romp Leap Year ), while Freida Pinto has been shooting god epic Immortals alongside Mickey Rourke.

Source: [ Heat Vision ]

Going ape-shit for this? Or just the latter?

Josh Winning has worn a lot of hats over the years. Contributing Editor at Total Film, writer for SFX, and senior film writer at the Radio Times. Josh has also penned a novel about mysteries and monsters, is the co-host of a movie podcast, and has a library of pretty phenomenal stories from visiting some of the biggest TV and film sets in the world. He would also like you to know that he "lives for cat videos..." Don't we all, Josh. Don't we all.