Reeves and writer Mark Bomback used that new freedom to watch a crap ton of movies.
When Matt Reeves was first brought on to direct Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, the film already had a release date, so production was constantly going full throttle.
Now for the sequel, Fox has chosen to see what Reeves and company can do when they actually have some time.
According to EW, not only did they watch the entire Planet of the Apes series, but also The Great Escape, Bridge on the River Kwai, Ben-Hur, and The Outlaw Josey Wales, to name a few.