Each Planet of the Apes reboot has featured a central human in the conflict between the hyperintelligent apes and what remains of the human race. For the newly released Kingdom, our human proxy is Mae, played by The Witcherâs Freya Allan. Though she initially seems like a regular feral humanâwho canât speak, as previously seen in War for the Planet of the Apesâit turns out Maeâs not what she seems: sheâs intelligent and can talk like a modern person would, something Noa (Own Teague) has never seen before.
Talking to the Hollywood Reporter, Allan opened up on a number of topics, including that reveal of Maeâs intelligence. In the interview, she admitted that sheâd been fully prepared to lie about that aspect of her character, something director Wes Ball also wanted to be kept secret. Having that reveal come in one of the newer trailers was a âshame,â she remarked, but one she still hoped would catch viewers off guard like it does Noa and his companion Raka.
For those early moments where Mae seems like a regular olâ feral, Allan drew upon moments from her childhood of pretending to be an animal. The intent was for Mae to strike a balance between not being a âtoo perfectâ mimic of ferals she heard about in stories growing up and âa rabbit in the headlightsâ so she wouldnât draw suspicion. With help from movement coordinator Alain Gauthier, Allan gave Mae a physicality similiar to other feral humans, but not entirely. âSheâs not feral, and she doesnât know that much about them. She hasnât actually seen one [until early act two],â she stated. âSo you need to see those small moments where you go, âSheâs not the same as other humans.ââ
In the second half of act two, itâs revealed that Mae isnât just not feral, she was part of a small group of humans looking to destroy human technology locked in a vault in the heart of ape monarch Promixusâ kingdom. She achieves that goal by flooding the vault before escaping, but when she and Noa meet again at his home, itâs eventually revealed mid-conversation that sheâs armed with a gun and is fully prepared to use it on him.
Allan called that scene âso differentâ from how it was originally shot: initially, Noa turned around and while heâs talking, she wouldâve pointed that gun at the back of his head. âYou think, âOh my God, is she about to shoot him?â And Mae is crying as sheâs doing it, like, âAm I about to shoot him?ââ Allan recalled. âAnd then she doesnât. The minute he mentions Rakaâs name, she puts the gun down.â It was changed in the editing to feel âmore subtle,â a choice she advocated for since it makes for a murkier dynamic in future films.
âMae was going there to kill [Noa] because he scares her,â she continued. âHis intelligence scares her. She doesnât want to kill him, but she feels she has to. And in that moment, she canât. Sheâs done so many brutal things, but she canât pull that trigger. So it becomes a very emotional goodbye, one with tragic, lingering doom. So thatâs what I shot, but thatâs the amazing thing about editing. You can change it and make it more up for interpretation.â
To Allan, Maeâs actions throughout the film were an even split between careful planning and thinking on the fly. Following Noa around and eventually speaking were planned, she said, but getting cornered by Proximusâ men accelerated that last part sooner than expected. In other moments, Mae knew her mission would be easier if she got Noa and his clan on her side, she just needed to keep her full intent close to the chest. Thereâs glimpses of genuine camaraderie between them that could speak to how humans and apes could co-exist, but at the end of the day, âshe has her own motives, and theyâre not on the same team. [âŠ] What else is she supposed to do? Just tell him instantly that she wants to reconnect the humans of the entire planet? Obviously not.â
The modern Apes movies donât bring back their human characters, but it sounds like this new run of films will continue to have Mae as a central character (if they get made). Allan hopes to keep portraying Mae, if only to see where she, Noa, and the other characters go next. âThereâs such a theme of everything that theyâve ever known being completely challenged,â she said, âand I really want to see what they then do with what theyâve learned and where that takes them and how the things that theyâve gone through affect them. I would love to return.â
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is now playing in theaters.
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