Los Angeles California- After spending almost a decade bringing “The Maze Runner” trilogy to the big screen, the director Wesball He was very excited that his next project was going to allow him to collaborate with Matt Reeves (“The Batman”, “War of the Planet of the Apes”) and Andy Serkis.
“That project did not reach its production phase, but the experience of collaborating with the two of them together with all the pre-production that we did with ‘motion capture’ was what put me on the studio’s radar when they began to discuss the possibility of make another ‘Planet of the Apes’ movie.” Ball explained to El Nuevo Día during the press conference to promote the premiere of “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.”
During a brief but pleasant chat, the film’s director explained why he initially rejected the project, why he changed his mind, and why it was key to receive Reeves and Serkis’ blessing before attempting to reboot the franchise with a film that follows the conventions of the film. adventure genre.
Juanma Fernández Paris (JFP) – Why did you originally decline to direct this film?
Wes Ball (WB) – “Because I am a fan of these films. Specifically the last three, but I’m also well aware of the impact the original films had on cinema history. So, precisely, I didn’t want to make a ‘Planet of the Apes’ movie, just to make one. I’m sure another director could have done it and made something successful. But it wasn’t until I was very clear about the way in which this film could create distance between the films that had Caesar as the protagonist. In addition to that, for me it was very important to preserve the fact that these films are intelligent entertainment. So, having something to say with the story became very important to me. Once I saw clearly how we could do that and that we could create a new direction to generate another series of films, I couldn’t resist saying yes.
JFP – What are the elements of this film that for you push the ‘Planet of the Apes’ franchise in another direction?
WB- “That the plot moved within the context of an adventure film gives it a completely different touch. The other thing was to create distance between this plot and the events of the most recent films. That allowed us to have a character who is like a blank slate. “There is no need to connect him with anything from the past, his journey is individual and new for these films.”
JFP – That day is very intense for the protagonist. Was it a challenge to escalate the tension of the film when you jump from intense sequence to intense sequence?
WB – “It is the classic journey of a hero who begins completely innocent and suffers a series of vicissitudes that turn him into a warrior. It was very exciting to chart the path for Noah and be clear about what we will do with him if we have the opportunity to make more films. For me the focus is to highlight the emotional transformation of the character, but of course this is done with spectacular technology and that turns the production into a different experience.”
JFP – Do you think your experience with the ‘Maze Runner’ films prepared you for a film of this scale?
WB – “It was definitely good practice. But the amount of resources I had available in this one was incredible. The budget of the three ‘Maze Runner’ films together is not even half that of this film. Being responsible for that was intense, but it also allows you to have more resources and artists to collaborate with.
JFP – Did you ask Matt Reeves and Andy Serkis for any advice before starting filming?
WB- “We had many conversations before we started filming and it was very important to receive his blessing. With Matt it was practical advice before starting filming, but Andy (Serkis) stayed in communication with me throughout the process and was very happy with what we were trying to do with this film.”
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