Set 10 years after '' Rise '' , the film establishes that the " simian flu " , a side effect of the drug that enhanced the Ape 's intelligence , has killed most humans . Caesar struggles to maintain peace as his ape community is drawn into violent clashes with nearby human survivors . Weta Digital again provided special effects work , which combined practical sets , digitally manipulated backgrounds and performance capture ape characters . The lead human characters were played by Jason Clarke , as Malcolm ; Keri Russell , as Ellie ; and Gary Oldman , as Dreyfus . Released on July 11 , 2014 , the film was very well received by critics , who found it a strong follow-up to '' Rise '' and lauded the combination of an engaging script with impressive special effects . It also performed very strongly at the box office , taking in $ 707 million in worldwide grosses . Its special effects received several honors , including three Visual Effects Society Awards and an Oscar nomination at the 87th Academy Awards
87th Academy Awards
87th Academy Awards
Planet of the Apes