Matt Reeves to Direct Planet of the Apes 3

20th Century Fox and Chernin Entertainment have signed Dawn of the Planet of the Apes helmer Matt Reeves to direct the third installment of the franchise, reports Deadline.

Reeves will co-write the script with Mark Bomback, who wrote the script for the sequel to Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which earned $482 million worldwide in 2011. The trade says that Reeves will likely go right into the third film after finishing “Dawn.”

In Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, a growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar is threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth’s dominant species.

Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Toby Kebbell, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Enrique Murciano, Kirk Acevedo and Judy Greer star in the July 11 release.

Reeves’ other directing credits include Cloverfield and Let Me In.