Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes Teases Big City Ruins With New Videos

By Nick Venable | Updated

Before Earth could become a “planet of the apes,” it must first become a “planet full of human-created shit that barely has anyone to do anything with it anymore.” And that seems to be the idea behind this bit of marketing for Matt Reeves’ upcoming Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. In the world of Dawn, humanity has been all but wiped out by a simian flu, and without people to keep things like Ferris Wheels and streetcars in motion, nature will slowly reclaim cities like San Francisco, where the film is set. The video concept makes for some haunting imagery in these videos, which offer time-lapsed looks at what happened to some of the planet’s biggest cities once things got bleak.

Abandoned places creep me out, so I find the clips particularly effective. San Francisco, as seen up top, is going back to hippie days and just letting it grow, man. All of these places may be a tad too overgrown, given that the movie’s events take place only a decade after the events seen in Rise of the Planet of the Apes. But that’s the kind of creative license I can handle in a movie about genetically enhanced apes.

From the southwestern bay to a northeastern bridge we go, as New York is our next decrepit destination. Though the next video is for London, this seems like the perfect time to perform a song parody called “Brooklyn Bridge Is Falling Down.” I can’t imagine that a bridge, meant to withstand constant traffic flow, is going to fall apart after non-use, but again…I like old bridge aesthetic. If I had a sun room, that’s what the theme would be. Take a look at the Big Apple rotting to its core below.

Across an ocean to London’s famous Big Ben, which has certainly seen better days. Such as the ones before nearly everyone was dead.

In case you weren’t aware, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes follows the strained relationship between Caesar’s (Andy Serkis) ape followers and the human survivors — including Gary Oldman, Jason Clarke and Keri Russell. Will peace prevail? Not likely.

It’s worth noting that some of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes was filmed in New Orleans, at the Six Flags theme park that was destroyed during Hurricane Katrina. It’s a perfect fit.

six flags

We can all see more Dawn of the Planet of the Apes action when the next trailer arrives in front of Godzilla, and then when the film hits theaters on July 11.