Gary Oldman has said he pinched himself to find himself in new film Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes.

He stars in the film with Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke and Keri Russell.

The original Planet Of The Apes franchise began in 1968 with Charlton Heston, and ran for five films until 1973.

Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes is the sequel to 2011's Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes which became a global hit.

The cast members re-watched the 1968 classic just weeks before shooting began.

Gary, who was only 10 when the original film came out, remembers watching the movie at the cinema: "You have to pinch yourself sometimes because you are part of this legacy of cinematic history.

"It's wonderful to be invited to the party and then for it to be so spectacularly good."

Australian Zero Dark Thirty actor Jason added: "You go back to these things because they're so good. And there are things that you pick up again and again, and you know they're part of the lexicon of what you do and know."

:: Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes is released in cinemas on Thursday, July 17.