Rapper /actor David Banner and Larramie “Doc” Shaw/Photo Credit: Megan Alodie
Written by | Ray Cornelius
Hip-hop maestro and actor David Banner hosted a special red carpet screening of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes last night at Atlanta’s AMC Phipps Plaza. The premiere was sponsored by Liquid Soul and was attended by a number of the city’s tastemakers and VIP’s including the film’s star Larramie “Doc” Shaw.
Best known as Malik on Tyler Perry’s House of Payne, Shaw is starring in the role of Ash, one of the ape colony’s lead warriors and honorary nephew of chief ape, Caesar. For the twenty-two-year-old Atlanta native, playing the part of a computer generated chimpanzee was both challenging and fulfilling at the same time.
“The most exciting part about filming did not involve captivating audiences with our words or movie lines but rather captivating audiences with the motion of our bodies,” said Shaw. “Working with great actors like Andi Serkis and Terry Notary and the rest of the apes was truly a fantastic learning experience for me.”
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is the sequel to the 2011 film, Rise of the Planet of the Apes. The plot focuses on a growing nation of genetically evolved apes that feel threatened by a band of human survivors of a devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth’s dominant species.
Check out who was spotted on the red carpet below and click here to see the film’s official trailer:
Former Danity Kane singer and actress D. Woods/Mr. Shut Up and Train’s Rahman Grayson
ATL radio personality Stacii J. Johnson/Gospel recording artist Micah Stampley
Star of Brodway’s FELA Duain Richmond
Actress and Model Judy Blair/ASCAP Producer Paul ‘Leo’ Davis with guest Dr. Whitley
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes hits theaters everywhere on July 11, 2014.
Photo Credits: Megan Alodie for RayCornelius.com and Facebook/Liquid Soul