Keri Russell has revealed details about Dawn of the Planet of the Apes plot, Digital Spy said.

Russell, who joins the cast of Matt Reeves' sequel alongside Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman and Kodi Smit-McPhee, explained that the story picks up after much of civilisation has been wiped out, following the events of Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

"Basically, there's been this virus outbreak and there's very little of civilisation alive," Russell said in an interview with I Am Rogue. "The apes that are left don't think there are any humans left, and the humans left don't think there are any apes left.

"Through a set of circumstances, they meet up and it's really about [the question], 'Can the two communities exist together?'"

Russell also confirmed that she plays a doctor who is "sort of" the girlfriend of Clarke's character.

James Franco and Freida Pinto will not reprise their roles from the first film.