Freida Pinto join "Rise of the Apes"

Slumdog Millionaire star Freida Pinto is in negotiations to star in the upcoming Planet of the Apes prequel "Rise of the Apes" opposite James Franco.

According to Variety, the 25 year-old actress will "play the role of Caroline, a primatologist".

"Apes" deals with the aftermath of man's experiments with genetic engineering that lead to the development of intelligence in apes and the onset of a war for supremacy. Franco will play a driven scientist who becomes a crucial figure in the war between humans and apes.

Rupert Wyatt will helm this flick and it is set for June 24, 2011 release.

[Photos courtesy by Bauer Griffin - Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images]