WETA Digital visual effects house behind Avatar, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, and District 9, will host a livestream event on Facebook for Rise of the Planet of the Apes on April 13, at 2:30PM PDT, from their headquarters in Wellington, New Zealand. WETA’s Joe Letteri and Dan Lemmon will give viewers an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at their work on the film.
The event will live on Facebook’s official fan page for Avatar: http://www.facebook.com/officialavatarmovie.
Letteri, a five-time Oscar® winner, and Lemmon will provide a look into WETA’s process, and explain how working on a Planet of the Apes film has long been the “holy grail” of visual effects wizardry – and a driving force behind their own careers. In addition, visitors to the livestream event will hear from other Rise of the Planet of the Apes filmmakers, including director Rupert Wyatt, and get a behind-the-scenes look at the work of actor Andy Serkis, whose nuanced performance is playing a key role in WETA’s rendering of Caesar, the film’s principal ape character.
A five-second preview of WETA’s work on Rise of the Planet of the Apes is available on the film’s official Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/ApesWillRise.
In the film’s story, a single act of both compassion and arrogance leads to a war unlike any other — and to the Rise of the Planet of the Apes. It stars James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Brian Cox, Tom Felton, David Oyelowo and Andy Serkis as Caesar. Peter Chernin and Dylan Clark are producing for Chernin Entertainment under its pact with Fox. Rupert Wyatt is directing from a screenplay by Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver, who are also producing.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes opens in theaters everywhere August 5, 2011.
