Watch the chilling Dawn of the Planet of the Apes trailer

With strong reviews and an unexpectedly healthy box-office gross, Rise of the Planet of the Apes was one of the surprise hits of 2011 — but it also ended just as the story was getting really good. Fortunately, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is coming this summer, and its depiction of the beginning of the war between apes and humans looks just as promising.

"I know why you're scared. It took us four years fighting that virus, but we are survivors," says Gary Oldman's Dreyfus in the new trailer. He's the de facto leader of a small band of surviving humans, and he blames the ever-growing ape population for the spread of the virus that killed off much of humanity. But other humans — including Malcolm (Jason Clarke) and Ellie (Keri Russell) — want to make peace with their simian neighbors before it's too late.

But despite the strong lineup of conventional actors, it's clear that the star of the show is motion-capture guru Andy Serkis, reprising his highly acclaimed performance as ape leader Caesar. "War has already begun," says Caesar at the end of the new trailer. Moviegoers can witness the what happens next when Dawn of the Planet of the Apes hits theaters on July 11.

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