Woody Harrelson will star as a villain in Fox’s “War for the Planet of the Apes” — the eighth film in the franchise.
Matt Reeves, who directed 2014’s “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” is returning to helm from a script by Mark Bomback. Chernin Entertainment, Dylan Clark, Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver are producing the film, which begins shooting this fall in Vancouver.
The storyline is being kept under wraps; Harrelson will play a character called the Colonel. Gabriel Chavarria of “East Los High” recently joined the movie.
“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” a sequel to 2011’s “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” reboot, grossed more than $700 million worldwide. “War for the Planet of the Apes” will be released in 2017.
Harrelson is nearing production on Rob Reiner’s “LBJ,” in which he stars as President Lyndon B. Johnson. He will be seen next in the final “Hunger Games” movie, “Mockingjay — Part 2,” which opens Nov. 20.
Harrelson is repped by CAA and Ziffren Brittenham. The news was first reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
