3 Short Prequels To “Dawn of the Planet Of The Apes” Explain 10 Year Gap After “Rise”

Tucked in the credits of Rise of the Planet of the Apes was what descended the earth into a viral epidemic. This so-called Simian Flu is what wiped out most humans and left the apes in a very strong position at the beginning of Dawn of the Planet Of The Apes. Since the gap between the two movies is a massive 10 years, this presents the studio with a chance to fill in the blanks. One way they’ve done this is to create series of three short prequels. Hit the jump to watch.

Motherboard (Vice’s science and tech wing) and 20th Century Fox collaborated on this series to promote the upcoming Vice documentary film titled Island of Apes. In these three shorts we see people struggling to cope with the outbreak. If you started thinking these were filmed on a Walking Dead set, you wouldn’t be alone.

While no apes actually make an appearance in these films, they are alluded to on occasion, and the ending of the final short makes their influence on events quite clear.

Spread Of Simian Flu: Before The Dawn Of The Apes (Year 1)
Amidst a widespread viral outbreak known as the ‘Simian Flu,’ a mother is quarantined after testing positive for the virus, leaving her husband and daughter to fend for themselves.

Struggling To Survive: Before The Dawn Of The Apes (YEAR 5)
Five years after the Simian Flu all but wiped out humanity, an orphaned teenage girl survives by bartering things she has stolen from dead people’s homes.

Story Of The Gun: Before The Dawn Of The Apes (YEAR 10)
Follow the journey of a shotgun through the hands of several ill-fated owners as the ‘Simian Flu’ ravages the world around them.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes stars Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Toby Kebbell, Kodi Smith-McPhee, Enrique Murciano, and Kirk Acevedo. The film opens in theaters on July 11.