When Rise of the Planet of the Apes came out in the summer of 2011 it took many people by surprise. Not only was it a critical success it was a commercial one as well, taking in over $300 million. The success at the box office all but assured that there would be another entry in this rebooted franchise.
Well, this Friday we get that sequel, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. And if you are one to believe early buzz, this film is even better than the last.
Dawn tells the story of a growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar is threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth's dominant species.
But what happened during that decade, between the end of Rise and the beginning of Dawn? These 3 shorts, collectively Before the Dawn, cover that period.
Year 1: Spread of Simian Flu
Amidst a widespread viral outbreak known as the 'Simian Flu,' a mother is quarantined after testing positive for the virus, leaving her husband and daughter to fend for themselves.
Year 5: Struggling to Survive
Five years after the Simian Flu all but wiped out humanity, an orphaned teenage girl survives by bartering things she has stolen from dead people's homes.
Year 10: Story of the Gun
The journey of a shotgun through the hands of several ill-fated owners as the 'Simian Flu' ravages the world around them.
Dawn of the Plant of the Apes is In Theaters July 11, 2014