Actor Woody Harrelson has reportedly been cast as the primary human villain in the upcoming "War of the Planet of the Apes," the direct sequel to "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes." While no details about his character have yet been released, The Hollywood Reporter says he will be known as "The Colonel."
According to /Film, this moniker indicates that he will be a member — or more likely the leader — of the military reinforcements called to San Francisco during the closing segment of the previous film. Harrelson's character may be the driving force that pushes the war between human and ape beyond the point of no return.
Harrelson is primarily known for his highly acclaimed performance in "True Detective" and his performances in "The Hunger Games" and "Zombieland." He is also prominent in "Now You See Me," "No Country for Old Men" and "Seven Psychopaths."
Other than Harrelson, the only confirmed actors for the film are Gabriel Chavarria who is reportedly playing a new character, and Andy Serkis who will portray the main character Ceasar via motion capture. Andy Serkis has played the ape Ceasar in both of the previous films.
The report states that there are no confirmations at this point if any of the previous human characters will make a return, most importantly Jason Clarke's Malcolm. The end of the second film saw Malcolm lead the other human survivors out of the city as the militant group — supposedly led by The Colonel — are seen arriving.
It is noted, however, that there is a chance the motion capture actors who portrayed the apes alongside Andy Serkis may come back, except for Toby Kebbell who played the ape villain Koba.
"War of the Planet of the Apes" is being directed by Matt Reeves based on a script by Mark Bomback and is currently scheduled for release on July 14, 2017.
