Maurice

Run.

Maurice tells Malcolm and his family to run for their lives

Maurice is an altered Orangutan and a former circus ape who resided at the San Bruno Primate Shelter with Cornelia, Rocket and Buck. He watched over Caesar and discovered his intelligence, hence learning about his ability to communicate with Sign Language. Seeing Caesar's potential, Maurice befriended him becoming Caesar's best and most trusted friend. During the Ape Rebellion, Maurice served as the second of Caesar's lieutenants, the first being Rocket. Over the next ten years, Maurice remains loyal to Caesar and serves as the colony's overseer and as a teacher to the new generation of apes.

History

Early Life

At some point in his life Maurice was a circus Orangutan where he would learn the ability to communicate using sign language. Not much is known about his life after that point and it is currently unknown what he thinks about humans and it is unknown what the cause of him being sent to the San Francisco Primate Facility as he is shown to possess a rather kind personality unlike the other apes there.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

When Caesar was first brought to the Primate Shelter Maurice took an interest in him noting that he was different somehow and from a distance he watched as the Chimpanzee struggled to fit in with his fellow apes. Maurice would then witness Caesar being beaten horribly by Rocket, the cruel alpha male of the shelter. Through sign language he asked Caesar if he was hurt bad, suprising Caesar that Maurice knows sign language as well. Maurice then reveals to Caesar that he is a former circus Orangutan and because the humans dislike smart apes he keeps it a secret from the shelter staff this relieved Caesar as he finally made a friend at the shelter and the two apes would be seen together often. After Caesar overthrew Rocket as alpha, Maurice was puzzled as to why Caesar made Rocket give cookies (he stole from Dodge) to all the apes in the facility. Maurice then asked Caesar his reason to having Rocket give the cookies to all the apes, Caesar replied that apes are strong when together, Maurice after seeing apes fight in the water pointed out the flaw that the apes are too stupid to band together. This prompted Caesar to return to his old home and steal Will's ALZ-113 drug and expose the other apes to it. After receiving the ALZ-113 overnight, Maurice was examined by Caesar who saw that he had new green eyes which showed his increased intelligence. Maurice nodded his head in thanks to Caesar for giving him new intelligence. He escaped with Caesar and would helped him free their fellow apes at the San Francisco Zoo and at Gen-Sys Laboratories. He and Buck were cornered by the police, but he used a manhole lid as a weapon to throw at one of the police cars, which caused it to crash into a small shop while Buck threw parking meter at another police car. The two would meet up with Caesar and Rocket as they used a trolley to make it to their next stop the Golden Gate Bridge. Then, on the Golden Gate Bridge, Maurice and the Orangutans were ordered by Caesar to attack from the bottom of the bridge supports. As he climbed beneath the bridge Maurice noticed a Chimpanzee named Wolfie fall to his death after being shot down by humans this angered him to the point where he climbed faster to the bridge's center. He and the Orangutans then join their brethren in defeating the police blockade and celebrate in their victory against the humans. The apes would then leave the bridge and head for the safety of Muir Woods Park, he and the other apes started to stand upright like Caesar, who showed them the top of the redwood trees, looking out over the San Francisco bay.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes: Firestorm

Maurice serves as one of Caesar's commanders as the apes struggle for survival after the battle on the bridge. Caesar assigns him a group of apes to lead away from the humans while Rocket leads the second group while Caesar leads a third. When Cornelia begins talking about how different forest food is to jungle food, Maurice takes her side much to Caesar's annoyance. More To come...

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Maurice is first seen teaching the younger generation in the village after Caesar's hunting party returns. After the birth of Caesar's second son, Maurice sits with him and congratulates him. They then talk about the humans and how few they have seen in the past ten years. Maurice states that unlike Caesar, he never got to know the good side of humans, only the bad side. Maurice takes an immediate interest in Alexander's satchel (which was left behind following Carver's attack on Ash), and disagrees with Koba's wish to immediately attack the remaining humans, stating they do not know how many of them remain. Later on, Maurice sits with Alexander and becomes fascinated by his comics and drawings, and begins to become sympathetic to the humans. Following the attempted overthrowing of Caesar by his former friend Koba, Maurice remains staunchly loyal to his old friend, and is imprisoned by Koba for doing so. Maurice is shown to be injured by Koba during the final battle between Koba and Caesar at the top of the Colony's building.

More to Come...

Personality

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Maurice is an ape that speaks very little. He is kind hearted and is the first to befriend Caesar after discovering that the Chimp could also speak using sign language. He is also intelligent, wise and extremely loyal when it comes to his friends. When he is first introduced in the first film, he is shown to be cynical, gloomy, skeptical and extremely pessimistic. He is respectful to Caesar and admires his intelligence and ambition, and is keen to listen to Caesar's ideas. He is also the first that Caesar bonds with in captivity, since they both know sign language and have similar methods of thought.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

His curiosity towards Malcolm and his family prompts him to befriend Alexander, Malcolm's son who teaches him more about the human world by showing him a photo of his late mother and his book of drawings. The Orangutan sees through his own eyes what some of the humans are like and that some can be trusted which sees his opinion matched with Caesar's that there is some good in humans. His new view of humans led to him warning Malcom and his family to run for their lives during Koba's usurpation against Caesar as the alpha male of the apes.

More to come…

Abilities

Animal Strength: Like all Orangutans Maurice is extremely powerful and strong, during the Ape Rebellion, he is shown to be strong enough to lift a manhole lid, and throw it at one of the police cars, which caused it to crash into a small shop.
Advanced Intelligence: Maurice, like many other apes of the San Bruno Primate Shelter was exposed to the ALZ-113 drug by Caesar who had decided to make the other apes intelligence in order for them to escape with him to freedom. Even before he was exposed to the ALZ-113, he had some level of intelligence, after Caesar arrived at the San Bruno Primate Shelter, he was observing him and Maurice realize that Caesar is much more intelligent than a normal ape, after he was exposed to the ALZ-113, Maurice became much more intelligent than before, it is unknown how much his advanced intelligence and IQ has increased.
Sign Language: Like Caesar, Maurice knows the American Sign Language. Maurice uses it as a form of communication, little is known about how or by who he learned it from, other then that he came from the circus. In Dawn, Maurice is shown teaching the young apes the basics of sign language in order for them to communicate proving that he is very skilled in teaching it to other apes as many apes either evolved or unevolved have learned the art from him.
Speech: Having inhaled the ALZ-113, Maurice like the other evolved apes has gained the ability of speech. During Dawn, his only dialogue outside of sign language is one word, "Run" .

Relationships

Caesar

Caesar is Maurice's best friend. Like Maurice, Caesar was locked up at the San Bruno Primate Shelter. Maurice watched from the sidelines as Caesar found himself in an unnecessary fight with the previous alpha, Rocket. After seeing what Caesar was capable of in terms of communication, Maurice decided to befriend the Chimpanzee by asking how his wound felt,

which surprised Caesar as he had no idea that one of the apes in the facility could use sign language. This encounter led to a developing friendship as the two apes would be seen together more often. Maurice was unknowingly the one who gave Caesar the idea to break into his foster parents' house and steal the ALZ-113 drug in order to make the other apes more intelligent. When seeing the apes the morning after, Caesar examined them and discovered that they had inherited the green eyes signifying their new intelligence. Maurice nodded at Caesar in gratitude for giving him this new intelligence and the two apes would later lead a rebellion taking place in San Francisco. Because of his close association with Caesar, Maurice became one of the commanders during the assault on the Golden Gate Bridge.

Over the next ten years, Maurice still remains loyal to Caesar and is one of his closest companions along with Rocket, Koba and Cornelia and serves as an honorary uncle to Caesar's sons. Also, Maurice served as a moral compass to both Caesar and Cornelia during the early days of their marriage.

Rocket

Rocket is Maurice's close friend. Though they have little to no interaction, Maurice and Rocket seemed to be civil. Through a conversation he has with Caesar, Maurice sees Rocket as brutish and somewhat stupid as he asks why Caesar gave Rocket a cookie

DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES — Rocket, Maurice's fellow inmate and friend.

in order to bribe him. Caesar explains that apes that act alone are weak while apes that act together are strong.

As the years go by, Maurice and Rocket have become closer as Maurice is one of the teachers and mentors of Rocket's son, Ash.

Despite limited interaction during the reappearance of the humans, Maurice and Rocket are together then they arrive on the scene after Ash is shot, Maurice shows great concern and both agree with Caesar then the Alpha decides to going into the city to threaten the humans. Also, when Caesar's loyalists are caged by Koba, Rocket and Maurice are together in the same cage before being freed by Blue Eyes and taken to the Rodman House. During Caesar's fight with Koba, Maurice and Rocket watch, terrified as their friend fights their new enemy. Both are then seen to be kneeling before Caesar before they go off to war.

Cornelia

Cornelia is one of Maurice's fellow inmates, friend and queen.

Despite not having any known interaction while they were in captivity, Maurice values Cornelia's input as seen when they were struggling to survive just days after the fight on the bridge. Maurice takes Cornelia's advice about finding food into stride much to the annoyance of Caesar. Maurice sees just how compatible Caesar and Cornelia as they are too much like each other and served as a moral compass towards the couple in the early days of their marriage.

Due to no interaction when the humans are rediscovered, Maurice does indirectly mention Cornelia during his conversation with Caesar in which congratulates Caesar over Milo's birth.

Blue Eyes

Blue Eyes is one of Maurice's students and honorary nephew. Being an old friend of Blue Eyes' parents Caesar and Cornelia, Maurice has watched Blue Eyes grow up and taught him along with other apes his age.

River Dawn — Blue Eyes, one of Maurice's students and honorary nephew.

He loves Blue Eyes like a son and is seen to be openly concerned for his welfare as seen when Blue Eyes finds him and Rocket locked up for defying Koba. Maurice tells Blue Eyes to look after himself and to be careful. When Caesar orders Blue Eyes to free any apes who have refused to follow Koba, Maurice is one of the first apes to be freed when Blue Eyes pulls the metal bars off one of the windows of their prison. Blue Eyes then takes Maurice and the other rebels back to Caesar at the Rodman House before they head off to confront Koba. Maurice are together then Caesar fights Koba. When Maurice is accidentally injured when Koba opens fire on Caesar during the fight, Blue Eyes, horrorified, tends to him.

Milo

210px-Infant wanders — Milo, Maurice's honorary nephew.

Milo is Caesar's second son thereby making him Maurice's honorary nephew due to him being a close friend of the infant's father. Though he doesn't have any direct interaction with the infant in the time of his birth, Maurice happily congratulates Caesar on the birth of his second son.

More to come...

Alexander

Alexander is Maurice's human friend and mentor. When Alexander accidentically drops his satchel in the forest after the humans' first confrontation with Caesar and his apes, Maurice retrieves Alexander's bag on Caesar's orders.

He later goes through it while the council are arguing over what is to be done about Ash's shooting and discovers the photo of a young Alexander with his late mother. Later, Maurice and a group of his young students encounter Alexander asleep at Malcolm's campsite where they sit and watch Alexander who awakes, holding his book. Later, Maurice meets up with Alexander alone and sits with him as he learns how to read from the teenager. When Koba threatens Alexander and his father in the dam control room, Maurice steps in to protect them, shaking his head as a clear threat to the bonobo to leave them alone.

Koba

Koba was Maurice's good friend turned enemy. Their first known interaction was about a week after the Battle on the Golden Gate Bridge, according to the prequel novel, Firestorm. Koba offers Maurice some food to which the Orangutan is thankful. Koba notices that Maurice is slightly standoffish towards him but remembers everyone is like this around him.

When Koba calls the Gorillas "Caterpillars" because they aren't intelligent like them, Maurice scolds him for using the term and reminds him that the Gorillas might not be as intelligent as them, they are still their fellow apes and require just as much respect as the other apes do. After returning from the human colony, Koba becomes frustrated with Maurice's lack of stomach to fight (blaming it on his fruitarian diet) and his persistence on having patience. When Koba prepared to attack the humans Alexander and Malcolm, Maurice stepped in to defend them from him, shaking his head as if to threaten him from harming his new friends. Following Koba's takeover, Maurice remains loyal to Caesar, and is imprisoned by Koba for doing so. During Koba's final confrontation with Caesar, Koba accidentally wounds Maurice when he opens fire on Caesar.

Luca

Luca is Maurice's good friend not much is known about their relationship due to their limited interaction, they appear to be on good terms as they are both members in Caesar's Ape Council. When Koba overthrew Caesar both Maurice and Luca were imprisoned for their loyalty to Caesar only to be freed by Blue Eyes. The two worked together to bring Caesar back to power and intently watched as Koba and Caesar battled for supremacy of the ape colony. Later, Koba taking a gun opened fire on the apes with many being killed or gravely wounded Maurice being one of the many injured. Fortunately, luca being nearby carried Maurice to safety showing that he possessed concern for his friend's life and both watched as Caesar put an end to koba's reign. The two were later seen as Caesar took back his place as leader of the apes and both look to him for answers as the apes prepared for war against the humans.

Malcolm

Malcolm is Maurice's new human friend. The only known interaction that the pair have is when they both in turn step in to protect Alexander from Koba who is angry with Caesar for "choosing" the humans over the apes. Maurice shakes his head at Koba as a warning to back off which greatly displeases Koba.

Notes

Maurice was named in tribute to Maurice Evans, who played chief Orangutan Dr. Zaius in Planet of the Apes and Beneath the Planet of the Apes, although the movie used the American pronunciation of his name ("Maw-reece") rather than Evans' own British pronunciation ("Morris").
In Battle for the Planet of the Apes, both the Lawgiver - the wise historian - and Virgil - the advisor - were portrayed as Orangutans. Thus, the portrayal of Maurice as a just, wise ape leads to a line of possibly related future wise Orangutans like the Lawgiver and Dr. Zaius.

Trivia

There are many postings on Karin Konoval's official public facebook page that tell about her experiences getting to know real life Orangutans.
To celebrate 1 million likes on the official Apes Facebook page, Matt Reeves did a video to congratulate the page. In the background on the editing monitors behind Reeves was a series of completed stills of Caesar and Maurice in the editing program.
At CinemaCon, Maurice was seen in the footage that was shown.
In an interview at CinemaCon, Andy Serkis mentioned that Maurice would act as a school teacher to the younger apes and that Maurice may be able to speak English. From what Andy mentioned, Maurice helped Caesar teach many of the apes how to use Sign Language as a ways of communication.
Maurice had brief appearances in the footage at CinemaCon. He appeared to be sad in some of the shots.
Maurice makes a brief appearance at the beginning of Dawn's first TV spot. He is on Caesar's left when the apes are preparing for war at the beginning of the spot. He is not wearing warpaint.
Karin Konoval had to wear weights as part of her motion capture suit.
Maurice, Rocket, Luca, and other apes who are loyal to Caesar and refuse to kill unarmed humans were caged and held prisoner by Koba.
Maurice is the third known ape to speak. In Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, he told the humans in the Ape Village to leave when Koba took over with only one word, "Run".
Maurice received a scar on the top of his right cheek after Koba fired at him, Blue-Eyes, Rocket and Luca.