California is known for some wild sights, especially places like Venice Beach. But imagine seeing apes riding horses along the famous shoreline! TikToker switchflipjones captured some footage of the event that went viral amassing 1.5 million views in under 24 hours.
In reality, they were humans dressed up as apes as a publicity stunt for “Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes.” But to be fair, the costumes and performers are REALLY convincing. It shows how far we’ve come since the late Charlton Heston squared off against our primate overlords in 1968’s “Planet of the Apes.” While cutting edge for the time, those rubber suits aged like milk for modern audiences.
The video shows a group of performers trotting around on horseback in full ape regalia. They stayed in character even as a curious crowd gathered around and began to film. Complete with withering stares that screamed; “This is our beach. What are you lesser beings doing here?”
This stunt did its job, and drummed up even more interest in the upcoming film. Which is impressive considering how hard it is to stand out on Venice Beach.
The Film
“Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes” is directed by Wes Ball, and will serve as a direct sequel to 2017’s Matt Reeves-directed “War for the Planet of the Apes.” It will take place many years after the reign of Caesar, and follows a young ape’s journey that will lead him to question everything he’s been taught about the past. Now he must make a choice that will define the future for apes and humans alike.
“Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes” hits theaters on May 10th. You can check out the trailer below: