Although only three years separate the release dates of Rise of the Planet of the Apes and its upcoming sequel Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, in the story’s world, ten years have elapsed. Quite a lot happens in that time, it seems. While the apes are busy developing their own social skills and technological abilities, the humans have fallen victim to a deadly Simian Flu. In order to show audiences just how devastating this disease was to our civilization, a series of short films have been released that bridge the gap between films and set the stage quite nicely for the anticipated feature film.

Starring Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Keri Russell, Gary Oldman, Toby Kebbell, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Kirk Acevedo, Enrique Murciano, and Judy Greer, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes opens in 2D and 3D on July 11th. Hit the jump to watch the in-betweenquel short films.

Take a look at the following short films bridging the gap between Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Isaiah Seret directs Spread of Simian Flu: Before the Dawn of the Apes (Year 1), Daniel Thron directs Struggling to Survive: Before the Dawn of the Apes (Year 5), and “thirtytwo” directs Story of the Gun: Before the Dawn of the Apes (Year 10).

And here’s the official synopsis: