Things are really ramping up for Matt Reeves’ upcoming Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. In addition to the returning Andy Serkis, recent reports name Jason Clarke and Kodi Smit-McPhee as two of the sequel’s principal cast. Now, ComingSoon.net has learned exclusively that Gary Oldman will be boarding the project as the leader of a human colony!

Set 15 years after the events of Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Dawn finds most of humanity wiped out and the intelligent apes ruling over the world. Part of the film’s focus is said to be on a small group of San Francisco-based scientists that are forming a resistance against the apes and part follows Serkis’ Caesar as he, like his namesake, tries to maintain order and power within his new civilization.

A name very well known to cinephiles, Oldman recently starred in John Hillcoat’s Lawless and reprised his role as Commissioner Gordon in last summer’s The Dark Knight Rises. He can be seen later this year in Robert Luketic’s Paranoia and early next year in Jose Padilha’s RoboCop.

Featuring a screenplay by Mark Bomback, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes starts filming this spring for a May 23, 2014 release. Peter Chernin, Dylan Clarke, Amanda Silver and Rick Jaffa are producing.

(Photo Credit: Lia Toby / WENN.com)