San Francisco-based scientist Will Rodman (James Franco) is experimenting with a drug that he hopes will cure his Alzheimer's-afflicted father (John Lithgow). After his work is deemed a failure, Will becomes the guardian of Caesar (Andy Serkis), an infant chimp who was exposed in-utero to Will's drug. Caesar displays unusual intelligence, and Will decides to continue his experiments in secret. But as Caesar's intellect and abilities grow, he comes to represent a threat to man's dominion over Earth. This Academy Award-nominated film is a reboot of the acclaimed Planet of the Apes series, and is the first in a trilogy.