War for the Planet of the Apes isn't intended as a direct prequel to the original Planet of the Apes movies, at least not in the same way that, say, Phantom Menace is a direct prequel to the original Star Wars. But there are certainly some interesting connections.
One is the character of Nova, played by Amiah Miller in the new movie. She's not exactly the same character played by Linda Harrison in the 1968 film ... but she's not not her, either.
In a new featurette for the home video release of War for the Planet of the Apes, director Matt Reeves and writer Mark Bomback discuss how their Nova echoes the original Nova. "Though it's not the same character, she resonates in that same way," explains Reeves.
War for the Planet of the Apes is available on digital now, and will be out on DVD / Blu-ray October 24.
