New War for the Planet of the Apes trailer focuses on Nova

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

To say I'm excited for the new WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES is an understatement. The first two films were amazing (however, it's funny to think back how everyone was sure RISES was going to be a shitty flop before release), and the third film in the franchise seems to be upping the ante in action, scale, and pathos. This includes the introduction to the character Nova. If you don't remember the first PLANET OF THE APES film (as in the '68 version with Charlton Heston), Nova was the beautiful mute woman he shares a cell with when he's first captured. It's still unclear if this is a rebooted continuity, or if it's actually part of the original prime PofA canon (especially since there are explicit references to Heston's character and his space mission in RISES). Maybe this is the continuity that happens when Cornelius and Zira don't go back in time (since all the sequels after ESCAPE are based on events that proceed after that event.) Though I guess we'll see.

Anyway, here's the new trailer with some new footage. Let's take a look:

Adding kids is always a risk, especially in big-budget action/war films. However, the actress playing Nova, Amiah Miller, looks like she's killing it. It's also worth noting again that Nova was always mute in the films (even as an adult), which helps tremendously with directing child actors. Other than that, I think the film still looks great, and feel her presence comes off as an emotional center, rather than a cloying ploy. Let's hope that pans out in the film itself.

Meanwhile, WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES will July 14, 2017