Matt Reeves has revealed that it was Andy Serkis' performance in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, that landed him the role of Star Wars: Episode VII.
It was announced last month that Serkis was part of the line-up for the latest Star Wars film, which will see J.J. Abrams return to the director's chair.
Abrams was shown some footage from the film by its director Reeves, and was 'blown away' by the performance of Serkis as Caesar.
Speaking to Slash Film, Reeves said: "I showed him a bit of the movie. I wanted to get some feedback. And I know that he had known and really loved Andy Serkis.
"And the thing that struck me, and actually got me so excited, was the mystery behind how great he is, is that he's great. That he's an amazing actor.
"And the scenes that I showed [Abrams] were of Andy just in mo-cap. And he was like, 'Oh my God, he's an incredible actor.' He was so blown away."
Serkis returns to the role of Caesar this summer, after delivering a knockout performance in the first film Rise of the Planet of the Apes back in 2011.
Filming is already underway on Star Wars: Episode VII, where Serkis is joined on the cast list by Adam Driver, Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, and Gwendoline Christie.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is released 11th July, while Star Wars: Episode VII is released 18th December 2015.
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