How effects meld past and present as ‘Apes’ sequel ‘Kingdom’ steps into the future

Nature and its elements are key to “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.” The fourth installment in the modern reboot of the classic 1968 film leaves the events of 2017’s “War for the Planet of the Apes” far, far behind. “But where we started was asking, ‘How do we differentiate ourselves from those movies while at the same time, story-wise, conceptually, visually tie into them?’” Even before the production team landed on shooting on location in Australia, Ball’s first instinct was to get out of the dreary, overcast Vancouver landscapes from those previous films. “From a storytelling standpoint, one of the things that really drew me to the project was the opportunities for the world-building side of things in this bright, sunny landscape,” says Erik Winquist, the film’s visual effects director. “If you look at the movie, you can see this interesting thing where it kind of feels like both movies.” The goal throughout was to use visual effects in service of telling a story about needing to pummel one’s way through grief to find the strength to carry on. “I’ve heard so many variations of comments like, ‘I can’t believe I’m feeling something for these apes.’” “Yeah, it’s definitely a miracle that even works,” Ball adds.