20th Century Fox have officially announced the sequel to last year’s surprise-hit Rise of the Planet of the Apes, complete with release date and equally as long-winded title!

The film will be entitled Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and will be released on May 23, 2014 (Memorial Day in the States). While there is currently no word on which cast members will return, highly praised director Rupert Wyatt will come back to helm the project from a script by Scott Z. Burns, Amanda Silver and Rick Jaffa. Coming Soon also reports that producers Peter Chernin, Dylan Clark, Rick Jaffa, and Amanda Silver will all return.

The story will presumably take place somewhere between the events of the last film and the start of the original Planet of the Apes film. With the virus having spread worldwide in the post-credits scene of ROTPOTA, this sequel will likely provide the action and epic scale that some critics felt were absent in the original of the rebooted franchise.

Are you excited for Dawn of the Planet of the Apes?