National Geographic is bringing back two of its Disney+ originals for second seasons.
The company has renewed Limitless with Chris Hemsworth and A Real Bug’s Life.
Limitless with Chris Hemsworth premiered in 2022 and follows the Extraction star as he explores secrets of improving our lives.
In season one, Hemsworth pushed the limits of his body and mind to discover how fasting can unlock the body’s anti-aging power, how to manage stress so it doesn’t kill you, and how exposure to extreme temperatures can trigger our bodies’ own defenses against the killer diseases of old age, all in a quest to live a longer, healthier life.
In the second season, he travels through Nepal, Italy, Australia, and the United Kingdom in four more challenges.
It comes from Darren Aronofsky’s Protozoa Pictures and Jane Root’s Nutopia. The pair exec produce alongside Hemsworth as well as Ari Handel, Tom Watt-Smith,...
The company has renewed Limitless with Chris Hemsworth and A Real Bug’s Life.
Limitless with Chris Hemsworth premiered in 2022 and follows the Extraction star as he explores secrets of improving our lives.
In season one, Hemsworth pushed the limits of his body and mind to discover how fasting can unlock the body’s anti-aging power, how to manage stress so it doesn’t kill you, and how exposure to extreme temperatures can trigger our bodies’ own defenses against the killer diseases of old age, all in a quest to live a longer, healthier life.
In the second season, he travels through Nepal, Italy, Australia, and the United Kingdom in four more challenges.
It comes from Darren Aronofsky’s Protozoa Pictures and Jane Root’s Nutopia. The pair exec produce alongside Hemsworth as well as Ari Handel, Tom Watt-Smith,...
- 2/8/2024
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Chris Hemsworth will continue testing his phyical and mental boundaries for Nat Geo.
The Disney-owned company has renewed Limitless With Chris Hemsworth for a second season, which like the first will stream on Disney+. The formal pickup comes more than a year after the first season debuted in November 2022.
Nat Geo and Disney+ have also renewed A Real Bug’s Life, the (partially staged) nature series that uses the 1998 Pixar movie A Bug’s Life as its inspiration. That pickup was much quicker, coming two weeks after the series premiered. Nat Geo announced both pickups during its time at the Television Critics Association press tour on Thursday.
Season one of Limitless followed Hemsworth as he explored — using himself as a test subject — scientific developments in helping people live longer, healthier lives. Season two will focus on “a series of physical and mental obstaclesthat people across the world face daily: mental agility, pain,...
The Disney-owned company has renewed Limitless With Chris Hemsworth for a second season, which like the first will stream on Disney+. The formal pickup comes more than a year after the first season debuted in November 2022.
Nat Geo and Disney+ have also renewed A Real Bug’s Life, the (partially staged) nature series that uses the 1998 Pixar movie A Bug’s Life as its inspiration. That pickup was much quicker, coming two weeks after the series premiered. Nat Geo announced both pickups during its time at the Television Critics Association press tour on Thursday.
Season one of Limitless followed Hemsworth as he explored — using himself as a test subject — scientific developments in helping people live longer, healthier lives. Season two will focus on “a series of physical and mental obstaclesthat people across the world face daily: mental agility, pain,...
- 2/8/2024
- by Rick Porter
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Plimsoll Productions is making some changes to its natural history team.
The company, which is behind Disney+/National Geographic’s upcoming seven-part wildlife series Incredible Animal Journeys and the James Cameron-executive produced, Benedict Cumberbatch-narrated Super/Natural, has promoted Mark Brownlow following the departure of Tom Hugh-Jones.
Brownlow, who joined the company earlier this year as Executive Producer, becomes Creative Director, Natural History. He replaces Tom Hugh-Jones, who previously held that role, and leaves after seven years.
Browlow will continue to report to Plimsoll’s Chief Creative Officer of Natural History and Science Martha Holmes.
He has overseen Incredible Animal Journeys since joining the ITV-owned company. Before that, he spent 28 years at the BBC, where he worked on series including Blue Planet II and Frozen Planet II. He also previously exec produced a ten-part wildlife series for Apple as well as Eden: Untamed Planet for BBC and AMC Networks,...
The company, which is behind Disney+/National Geographic’s upcoming seven-part wildlife series Incredible Animal Journeys and the James Cameron-executive produced, Benedict Cumberbatch-narrated Super/Natural, has promoted Mark Brownlow following the departure of Tom Hugh-Jones.
Brownlow, who joined the company earlier this year as Executive Producer, becomes Creative Director, Natural History. He replaces Tom Hugh-Jones, who previously held that role, and leaves after seven years.
Browlow will continue to report to Plimsoll’s Chief Creative Officer of Natural History and Science Martha Holmes.
He has overseen Incredible Animal Journeys since joining the ITV-owned company. Before that, he spent 28 years at the BBC, where he worked on series including Blue Planet II and Frozen Planet II. He also previously exec produced a ten-part wildlife series for Apple as well as Eden: Untamed Planet for BBC and AMC Networks,...
- 11/9/2023
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Plimsoll Productions, an ITV Studios company, has promoted veteran producer James Smith to head of adventure.
In his new position, Smith will focus on adventure programming and report to Martha Holmes, Plimsoll’s chief creative officer of natural history and science. Currently, Smith oversees “Free Solo” rock climber Alex Honnold’s series for Disney+ and National Geographic, including the Alaskan expedition quest “The Last Frontier” and the upcoming “Arctic Ascent.” Smith also worked on the Emmy-nominated docuseries “Patagonia: Life on the Edge of the World,” narrated by Pedro Pascal.
Previously, Smith headed Plimsoll’s special and live events department, executive producing National Geographic’s “Yellowstone Live” and “Earth Live.” Prior to Plimsoll, Smith worked in the BBC’s national history unit, where he directed the BAFTA-winning series “Tribe,” hosted by Bruce Parry. He also worked on the Parry-hosted “Amazon” and its follow-up series “Arctic,” as well as docuseries “Springwatch,” “Autumnwatch” and “Winterwatch.
In his new position, Smith will focus on adventure programming and report to Martha Holmes, Plimsoll’s chief creative officer of natural history and science. Currently, Smith oversees “Free Solo” rock climber Alex Honnold’s series for Disney+ and National Geographic, including the Alaskan expedition quest “The Last Frontier” and the upcoming “Arctic Ascent.” Smith also worked on the Emmy-nominated docuseries “Patagonia: Life on the Edge of the World,” narrated by Pedro Pascal.
Previously, Smith headed Plimsoll’s special and live events department, executive producing National Geographic’s “Yellowstone Live” and “Earth Live.” Prior to Plimsoll, Smith worked in the BBC’s national history unit, where he directed the BAFTA-winning series “Tribe,” hosted by Bruce Parry. He also worked on the Parry-hosted “Amazon” and its follow-up series “Arctic,” as well as docuseries “Springwatch,” “Autumnwatch” and “Winterwatch.
- 8/16/2023
- by Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Horror studio Blumhouse and natural history producer Plimsoll Productions have teamed up on a new factual series.
The two companies are developing Nightmares of Nature, a series that follows animal heroes battling to survive the true-life horrors only real nature can provide. The idea is to blend natural history filmmaking through a horror lens, a place where trees bleed, zombie snails dwell and vampire fish reign supreme.
Blumhouse is behind Amazon’s The Horror of Dolores Roach and films including Get Out and M3gan, while ITV-owned Plimsoll is behind series such as Hostile Planet, Tiny World and Night on Earth.
No network or platform is currently attached.
Nightmares of Nature is produced by Blumhouse Television and Plimsoll Productions. For Blumhouse, Jason Blum, Chris McCumber and Gretchen Palek are executive producers. For Plimsoll, Grant Mansfield, Alan Eyres, Tom Hugh-Jones and Martha Holmes are executive producers.
“Plimsoll is best...
The two companies are developing Nightmares of Nature, a series that follows animal heroes battling to survive the true-life horrors only real nature can provide. The idea is to blend natural history filmmaking through a horror lens, a place where trees bleed, zombie snails dwell and vampire fish reign supreme.
Blumhouse is behind Amazon’s The Horror of Dolores Roach and films including Get Out and M3gan, while ITV-owned Plimsoll is behind series such as Hostile Planet, Tiny World and Night on Earth.
No network or platform is currently attached.
Nightmares of Nature is produced by Blumhouse Television and Plimsoll Productions. For Blumhouse, Jason Blum, Chris McCumber and Gretchen Palek are executive producers. For Plimsoll, Grant Mansfield, Alan Eyres, Tom Hugh-Jones and Martha Holmes are executive producers.
“Plimsoll is best...
- 7/17/2023
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Apple TV+ just released a gorgeous trailer for the docuseries Big Beasts. Two-time Emmy Award nominee – and everyone’s favorite Loki – Tom Hiddleston narrates the 10-part documentary series premiering on Friday, April 21, 2023, one day prior to Earth Day.
The docuseries will launch with the release of the first two episodes, followed by two new episodes every Friday leading up to its May 19th finale.
Big Beasts is executive produced by Emmy Award winner Tom Hugh-Jones (Planet Earth II), Emmy Award nominee Grant Mansfield (Hostile Planet), and two-time Emmy Award nominee Martha Holmes. The docuseries is produced by Plimsoll Productions.
Apple TV+ released this description of the documentary series:
From the acclaimed creative team of the Apple TV+ Award-winning docuseries Tiny World comes Big Beasts. Filmed over two years, the series takes audiences on an epic journey around the globe, from freezing poles to tropical rainforests, to meet nature’s most captivating giants.
The docuseries will launch with the release of the first two episodes, followed by two new episodes every Friday leading up to its May 19th finale.
Big Beasts is executive produced by Emmy Award winner Tom Hugh-Jones (Planet Earth II), Emmy Award nominee Grant Mansfield (Hostile Planet), and two-time Emmy Award nominee Martha Holmes. The docuseries is produced by Plimsoll Productions.
Apple TV+ released this description of the documentary series:
From the acclaimed creative team of the Apple TV+ Award-winning docuseries Tiny World comes Big Beasts. Filmed over two years, the series takes audiences on an epic journey around the globe, from freezing poles to tropical rainforests, to meet nature’s most captivating giants.
- 3/30/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Exclusive: Apple TV+ is continuing its natural history push.
The streamer is launching new wildlife series Big Beasts, narrated by Tom Hiddleston.
The series, which has been in the works for two years, takes viewers around the globe, from freezing poles to tropical rainforests, to meet nature’s most captivating giants.
It features massive species filmed across 17 countries, including the gray whale, the elephant seal, the giant otter, the gorilla, the hippopotamus, the brown bear, the ostrich, the orangutan, the tiger and the polar bear. Viewers will see that it’s not easy being big—the larger the animal, the greater the challenges they face.
Big Beasts comes from the creative team of Apple’s Tiny World, which launched in 2020 and was narrated by Paul Rudd. It is produced by ITV-owned Plimsoll Productions with Tom Hugh-Jones (Planet Earth II), Grant Mansfield (Hostile Planet) and Martha Holmes (Life) exec producing.
The streamer is launching new wildlife series Big Beasts, narrated by Tom Hiddleston.
The series, which has been in the works for two years, takes viewers around the globe, from freezing poles to tropical rainforests, to meet nature’s most captivating giants.
It features massive species filmed across 17 countries, including the gray whale, the elephant seal, the giant otter, the gorilla, the hippopotamus, the brown bear, the ostrich, the orangutan, the tiger and the polar bear. Viewers will see that it’s not easy being big—the larger the animal, the greater the challenges they face.
Big Beasts comes from the creative team of Apple’s Tiny World, which launched in 2020 and was narrated by Paul Rudd. It is produced by ITV-owned Plimsoll Productions with Tom Hugh-Jones (Planet Earth II), Grant Mansfield (Hostile Planet) and Martha Holmes (Life) exec producing.
- 3/30/2023
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
‘Blue Planet II’ Producer Mark Brownlow Joins Plimsoll Productions as Executive Producer (Exclusive)
London-headquartered factual producer Plimsoll Productions has hired BAFTA and Emmy-nominated “Blue Planet II” producer Mark Brownlow as an executive producer.
Newly backed by ITV Studios, Plimsoll is bringing Brownlow on board to report directly into chief creative officer of natural history and science Martha Holmes.
Brownlow is best known for his work on the acclaimed BBC-produced and David Attenborough-narrated blue chip “Blue Planet II” and its successful follow-up series “Frozen Planet II.”
With more than 20 natural history titles to his name, Brownlow has spent the last 28 years with BBC.
Most recently, he executive produced a 10-part wildlife series for Apple TV+, along with “Eden: Untamed Planet” (BBC Two/AMC Networks) and “Earth’s Tropical Islands” (BBC/PBS).
He produced the “Shallow Seas” and “Freshwater” episodes of the Emmy and BAFTA-winning series “Planet Earth” (BBC One/Discovery) and two episodes of the Emmy-winning “Wild Pacific” (BBC Two/Discovery).
He...
Newly backed by ITV Studios, Plimsoll is bringing Brownlow on board to report directly into chief creative officer of natural history and science Martha Holmes.
Brownlow is best known for his work on the acclaimed BBC-produced and David Attenborough-narrated blue chip “Blue Planet II” and its successful follow-up series “Frozen Planet II.”
With more than 20 natural history titles to his name, Brownlow has spent the last 28 years with BBC.
Most recently, he executive produced a 10-part wildlife series for Apple TV+, along with “Eden: Untamed Planet” (BBC Two/AMC Networks) and “Earth’s Tropical Islands” (BBC/PBS).
He produced the “Shallow Seas” and “Freshwater” episodes of the Emmy and BAFTA-winning series “Planet Earth” (BBC One/Discovery) and two episodes of the Emmy-winning “Wild Pacific” (BBC Two/Discovery).
He...
- 12/8/2022
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
The UK’s ITV has agreed to acquire a majority interest of 79.5 in Hostile Planet and Tiny World producer Plimsoll Productions for approximately £103.5M (126M), giving the company an enterprise value of £131M (159.7M).
The stake is being acquired from private equity group Ldc, which made a multi-million dollar minority share investment in Plimsoll in 2019.
Plimsoll, founded by Grant Mansfield — a former ITV factual boss — in Bristol in 2013, is the world’s largest independent producer of natural history programs and focuses on making premium factual. The BAFTA, Emmy and Oscar-winning firm has produced hundreds of hours of content, which has traveled to nearly 200 countries.
Among its credits are Tiny World and Giant World for AppleTV+; Hostile Planet and Supernatural Planet for Disney; Night On Earth and Animal for Netflix; and the upcoming series A Year On Planet Earth for new parent ITV, Tencent in China, Fox Nation in the U.
The stake is being acquired from private equity group Ldc, which made a multi-million dollar minority share investment in Plimsoll in 2019.
Plimsoll, founded by Grant Mansfield — a former ITV factual boss — in Bristol in 2013, is the world’s largest independent producer of natural history programs and focuses on making premium factual. The BAFTA, Emmy and Oscar-winning firm has produced hundreds of hours of content, which has traveled to nearly 200 countries.
Among its credits are Tiny World and Giant World for AppleTV+; Hostile Planet and Supernatural Planet for Disney; Night On Earth and Animal for Netflix; and the upcoming series A Year On Planet Earth for new parent ITV, Tencent in China, Fox Nation in the U.
- 6/14/2022
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
U.K. broadcaster ITV has completed its acquisition of leading natural history program producer Plimsoll Productions by taking a majority 79.5 stake.
The deal, which was revealed by Variety last week, values Plimsoll at £131 million (161 million) and ITV will pay £104 million (127 million) in cash for the stake.
Founded in Bristol in 2013, the BAFTA, Emmy and Academy award winning Plimsoll has produced hundreds of hours of content including “Tiny World” and “Giant World” for Apple+; “Hostile Planet” and “Supernatural Planet” for Disney; “Night on Earth” and “Animal” for Netflix and the upcoming series, “A Year on Planet Earth” for ITV, Tencent in China, Fox Nation in the U.S. and Ard Group in Germany.
Under the leadership of founder Grant Mansfield, the Plimsoll team includes chief creative officer Martha Holmes, creative director Tom Hugh-Jones, Karen Plumb as head of factual entertainment; and Richard Klein, former head of ITV Factual, and head of documentaries at the BBC.
The deal, which was revealed by Variety last week, values Plimsoll at £131 million (161 million) and ITV will pay £104 million (127 million) in cash for the stake.
Founded in Bristol in 2013, the BAFTA, Emmy and Academy award winning Plimsoll has produced hundreds of hours of content including “Tiny World” and “Giant World” for Apple+; “Hostile Planet” and “Supernatural Planet” for Disney; “Night on Earth” and “Animal” for Netflix and the upcoming series, “A Year on Planet Earth” for ITV, Tencent in China, Fox Nation in the U.S. and Ard Group in Germany.
Under the leadership of founder Grant Mansfield, the Plimsoll team includes chief creative officer Martha Holmes, creative director Tom Hugh-Jones, Karen Plumb as head of factual entertainment; and Richard Klein, former head of ITV Factual, and head of documentaries at the BBC.
- 6/14/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Mothers of the animal kingdom are in the spotlight in a Roku original documentary series that bows on Friday, May 6, just before Mother’s Day.
The nature series follows powerful matriarchs of the animal kingdom, spotlighting the universality of motherhood, and exploring what mothers of any species will do to protect their young. Mamas will feature 14 short-form episodes ranging from 6-8 minutes in length.
The series is available in English and Spanish, with the English version voiced by Connie Britton; the Spanish by Zoë Saldaña.
The series is produced by Plimsoll Productions, Deep Blue Productions, and Cinestar Pictures, with Britton, Saldaña, Martha Holmes, Andrew Jackson, Elyse Klaits, Mariel Saldaña, and Cisely Saldaña serving as executive producers.
Species featured in the series include potter wasps, grizzly bears, hummingbirds, yellow baboons, cheetahs, lions, wildebeests, black-backed jackals, strawberry dart frogs, praying mantis, African elephants, hyenas, meerkats, toque macaques, and Tomson’s gazelles. The...
The nature series follows powerful matriarchs of the animal kingdom, spotlighting the universality of motherhood, and exploring what mothers of any species will do to protect their young. Mamas will feature 14 short-form episodes ranging from 6-8 minutes in length.
The series is available in English and Spanish, with the English version voiced by Connie Britton; the Spanish by Zoë Saldaña.
The series is produced by Plimsoll Productions, Deep Blue Productions, and Cinestar Pictures, with Britton, Saldaña, Martha Holmes, Andrew Jackson, Elyse Klaits, Mariel Saldaña, and Cisely Saldaña serving as executive producers.
Species featured in the series include potter wasps, grizzly bears, hummingbirds, yellow baboons, cheetahs, lions, wildebeests, black-backed jackals, strawberry dart frogs, praying mantis, African elephants, hyenas, meerkats, toque macaques, and Tomson’s gazelles. The...
- 5/2/2022
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
The Roku Channel has released a trailer for its new shortform docuseries “Mamas,” which is narrated by Connie Britton and Zoë Saldaña and will premiere this Friday.
“Mamas” consists of 14 episodes ranging from six to eight minutes in length, with each episode following a different species of mothers protecting their young, from African elephants and grizzly bears to meerkats and potter wasps. Britton will serve as English narrator while Saldaña will narrate in Spanish.
“‘Mamas’ dives into the enchanting and challenging lives of mothers in the wild, and the powerful relationships these animals have with their children,” Brian Tannenbaum, Roku’s head of alternative originals, said in a statement. “Connie Britton and Zoë Saldaña take us through the captivating world of a mother’s protective instincts and loyalty to their young. It truly is a must-see documentary series that The Roku Channel is excited to share with our viewers.”
The...
“Mamas” consists of 14 episodes ranging from six to eight minutes in length, with each episode following a different species of mothers protecting their young, from African elephants and grizzly bears to meerkats and potter wasps. Britton will serve as English narrator while Saldaña will narrate in Spanish.
“‘Mamas’ dives into the enchanting and challenging lives of mothers in the wild, and the powerful relationships these animals have with their children,” Brian Tannenbaum, Roku’s head of alternative originals, said in a statement. “Connie Britton and Zoë Saldaña take us through the captivating world of a mother’s protective instincts and loyalty to their young. It truly is a must-see documentary series that The Roku Channel is excited to share with our viewers.”
The...
- 5/2/2022
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Exclusive: Plimsoll Productions, producer of AppleTV+’s Tiny Planet and Netflix’s Animal, is supercharging its science slate by promoting Martha Holmes to Chief Creative Officer of Natural History and Science.
Former Blue Planet producer Holmes, who is exec-ing upcoming Disney+ series On the Edge with Alex Honnold amongst others, moves up from Head of Natural History, having joined Plimsoll from the BBC Studios Natural History Unit (Nhu) when it was launched by Grant Mansfield almost a decade ago.
Reporting to Mansfield, Holmes’ new department has 150 staff, a vast number for an independent production company.
She will continue to oversee natural history while helming Plimsoll’s push deeper into science and takes a place on the Plimsoll Board as one of three Executive Directors.
Most recently, she has been instrumental in creating the Benedict Cumberbatch-narrated/James Cameron-produced Super/Natural for Disney+ and National Geographic’s Great Migrations.
“Martha...
Former Blue Planet producer Holmes, who is exec-ing upcoming Disney+ series On the Edge with Alex Honnold amongst others, moves up from Head of Natural History, having joined Plimsoll from the BBC Studios Natural History Unit (Nhu) when it was launched by Grant Mansfield almost a decade ago.
Reporting to Mansfield, Holmes’ new department has 150 staff, a vast number for an independent production company.
She will continue to oversee natural history while helming Plimsoll’s push deeper into science and takes a place on the Plimsoll Board as one of three Executive Directors.
Most recently, she has been instrumental in creating the Benedict Cumberbatch-narrated/James Cameron-produced Super/Natural for Disney+ and National Geographic’s Great Migrations.
“Martha...
- 4/28/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
That Nat Geo tile on Disney+ just upped its star power. At Monday’s Television Critics Association (TCA) Winter Press Tour, National Geographic unveiled 13 new original projects being produced for the streaming service, including shows from Will Smith, Jon Favreau and David Blaine.
Smith’s new series, “Pole to Pole,” comes under his Westbrook company’s first-look deal with Nat Geo. “Pole to Pole” follows Smith as he journeys 26,000 miles over 100 days from the South Pole to the North Pole.
Darren Aronofsky, James Cameron and Ron Howard/Brian Grazer are each overseeing a pair of new Disney+ programs under the Nat Geo banner. One of the projects from the Imagine duo will be Howard’s “We Feed People,” which premieres at SXSW ahead of its Memorial Day streaming launch. “We Feed People” follows chef José Andrés and his nonprofit World Central Kitchen’s mission in the disaster relief sector.
One...
Smith’s new series, “Pole to Pole,” comes under his Westbrook company’s first-look deal with Nat Geo. “Pole to Pole” follows Smith as he journeys 26,000 miles over 100 days from the South Pole to the North Pole.
Darren Aronofsky, James Cameron and Ron Howard/Brian Grazer are each overseeing a pair of new Disney+ programs under the Nat Geo banner. One of the projects from the Imagine duo will be Howard’s “We Feed People,” which premieres at SXSW ahead of its Memorial Day streaming launch. “We Feed People” follows chef José Andrés and his nonprofit World Central Kitchen’s mission in the disaster relief sector.
One...
- 2/7/2022
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
Exclusive: Here’s a clip of Netflix’s Animal from Plimsoll Productions, which launches Wednesday.
Narrated by big-hitters Bryan Cranston, Rashida Jones, Rebel Wilson and Pedro Pascal, the series utilizes the latest filming tech such as gimbals and drones to follow eight families of the natural world including big cats, dogs, marsupials and octopuses. Series two, which features narration from Andy Serkis, Anthony Mackie, David Harbour and Uzo Aduba, has already been commissioned.
Having started researching in late 2019, series producer Bill Markham said “serious discussion had taken place” over whether the show could continue to be made once Covid-19 struck.
What followed was “80 or so shoots over the next 16 months skirting around various locations around the world,” Markham told Deadline.
“I’m sure everyone in film and television can relate to the challenge that followed. It meant much ducking and diving by an incredible production team, working from bedrooms and...
Narrated by big-hitters Bryan Cranston, Rashida Jones, Rebel Wilson and Pedro Pascal, the series utilizes the latest filming tech such as gimbals and drones to follow eight families of the natural world including big cats, dogs, marsupials and octopuses. Series two, which features narration from Andy Serkis, Anthony Mackie, David Harbour and Uzo Aduba, has already been commissioned.
Having started researching in late 2019, series producer Bill Markham said “serious discussion had taken place” over whether the show could continue to be made once Covid-19 struck.
What followed was “80 or so shoots over the next 16 months skirting around various locations around the world,” Markham told Deadline.
“I’m sure everyone in film and television can relate to the challenge that followed. It meant much ducking and diving by an incredible production team, working from bedrooms and...
- 11/8/2021
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Season one of Animal, a nature series from Plimsoll Productions (Night On Earth), will land on Netflix November 10.
The show follows eight families of the natural world, including a mother lioness, a wild dog family, a kangaroo joey and a young giant pacific octopus. Each episode has a high-profile narrator who will bring to life the subjects, said the streamer, they are: Bryan Cranston, Rashida Jones, Rebel Wilson and Pedro Pascal.
The project was almost entirely shot during the pandemic, meaning the team used local camera operators to film in countries that were inaccessible due to travel restrictions.
Series two of the show has already been greenlit by Netflix and will feature narrators including Andy Serkis, Anthony Mackie, David Harbour and Uzo Aduba and will focus on dolphins, bears, birds of prey and apes. That season will premiere in 2022.
The series is produced by Plimsoll’s Anuschka Schofield, Adrian Seymour,...
The show follows eight families of the natural world, including a mother lioness, a wild dog family, a kangaroo joey and a young giant pacific octopus. Each episode has a high-profile narrator who will bring to life the subjects, said the streamer, they are: Bryan Cranston, Rashida Jones, Rebel Wilson and Pedro Pascal.
The project was almost entirely shot during the pandemic, meaning the team used local camera operators to film in countries that were inaccessible due to travel restrictions.
Series two of the show has already been greenlit by Netflix and will feature narrators including Andy Serkis, Anthony Mackie, David Harbour and Uzo Aduba and will focus on dolphins, bears, birds of prey and apes. That season will premiere in 2022.
The series is produced by Plimsoll’s Anuschka Schofield, Adrian Seymour,...
- 10/13/2021
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Streaming
Netflix has unveiled a release date for its first Spanish Original reality show “Insiders,” which will premiere around the world on Oct. 21. Hosted by “Money Heist” actor Najwa Nimri, the show has been billed as something completely new to the reality landscape in which its contestants believe, through the entire filming process, that they are only in the qualification rounds for an entirely different show. With the cameras constantly rolling, the twelve participants are kept in the dark that they are, in fact, being filmed for a hidden camera show. Set on a 17200 sq. ft. soundstage rigged with more than 250 hidden microphones and 70 hidden cameras, the contestants will unknowingly let their true colors shine right until the final reveal, when one winner will take home €100,000.
Acquisition
Nhk has acquired broadcast rights to Ines Marzouk’s feature documentary “My Mohamed is Different,” a standout in the World Showcase section of...
Netflix has unveiled a release date for its first Spanish Original reality show “Insiders,” which will premiere around the world on Oct. 21. Hosted by “Money Heist” actor Najwa Nimri, the show has been billed as something completely new to the reality landscape in which its contestants believe, through the entire filming process, that they are only in the qualification rounds for an entirely different show. With the cameras constantly rolling, the twelve participants are kept in the dark that they are, in fact, being filmed for a hidden camera show. Set on a 17200 sq. ft. soundstage rigged with more than 250 hidden microphones and 70 hidden cameras, the contestants will unknowingly let their true colors shine right until the final reveal, when one winner will take home €100,000.
Acquisition
Nhk has acquired broadcast rights to Ines Marzouk’s feature documentary “My Mohamed is Different,” a standout in the World Showcase section of...
- 9/16/2021
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Free Solo, which earned Nat Geo its first Oscar, was one of the channel’s signature programs selected to launch Disney+, with Free Solo’s Alex Honnold featured in the streamer’s first trailer alongside Marvel superheroes and classic Disney/ Pixar animated characters. Now Disney+ has greenlighted a three-part original docuseries from National Geographic headlined by Honnold.
On the Edge with Alex Honnold, produced by Plimsoll Productions, sees the professional adventure rock climber embark on a lifelong dream – an epic climbing quest across the remotest and toughest walls and peaks of Greenland, a country that has become the crucible of the climate crisis. In 2020, 300 billion tons of Greenland ice disappeared, the biggest annual melt in recorded history.
With an overabundance of virgin climbs and impossible walls, Greenland is considered the world’s last great climbing frontier. As he attempts a once-in-a-lifetime climbing challenge that will push his physical limits,...
On the Edge with Alex Honnold, produced by Plimsoll Productions, sees the professional adventure rock climber embark on a lifelong dream – an epic climbing quest across the remotest and toughest walls and peaks of Greenland, a country that has become the crucible of the climate crisis. In 2020, 300 billion tons of Greenland ice disappeared, the biggest annual melt in recorded history.
With an overabundance of virgin climbs and impossible walls, Greenland is considered the world’s last great climbing frontier. As he attempts a once-in-a-lifetime climbing challenge that will push his physical limits,...
- 8/18/2021
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Mongoose mania returns to South Africa’s Kalahari Desert as discovery+ unveils Meet The Meerkats, a series narrated by Emmy nominated actor Rob Delaney.
Discovery+ audiences will meet three rescued meerkat families (mobs) who are learning the way of life in the wild for the very first time. Most of the rehabilitated meerkats were snatched from the wild as pups and returned to their rightful home in the Kalahari Desert after being rescued from the illegal wildlife trade. The series will feature dominant female meerkats Zola, Marli, Bela and male Scar in the first mob. The second Meerkat mob is comprised of Marli, Zewli, unborn pups Thandi and Thembi, and Arno. Lastly, the series will also follow another female meerkat named Bela, who raises her young alone after losing her partner. These families must learn what all meerkats born in the wild know: the strict rules of meerkat society...
Discovery+ audiences will meet three rescued meerkat families (mobs) who are learning the way of life in the wild for the very first time. Most of the rehabilitated meerkats were snatched from the wild as pups and returned to their rightful home in the Kalahari Desert after being rescued from the illegal wildlife trade. The series will feature dominant female meerkats Zola, Marli, Bela and male Scar in the first mob. The second Meerkat mob is comprised of Marli, Zewli, unborn pups Thandi and Thembi, and Arno. Lastly, the series will also follow another female meerkat named Bela, who raises her young alone after losing her partner. These families must learn what all meerkats born in the wild know: the strict rules of meerkat society...
- 4/27/2021
- by Alexandra Del Rosario
- Deadline Film + TV
“Like alien egg sacs”
Free diver and filmmaker Patrick Dykstra goes in search of “some of the world’s most enigmatic creatures” in the Discovery+ documentary series “Chasing Ocean Giants.” Watch an exclusive preview from the series above.
The eight-episode series follows Dykstra as he documents the behavior of whales around the world, “from Arctic Bowheads going head-to-head with killer whales in Russia, to night singing humpbacks in Colombia.”
In the clip from the premiere episode, Dykstra travels to the Caribbean island of Dominica to examine the behavior of sperm whales and encounters a pod of whales taking an eerily vertical “power nap.” According to Dykstra, the reason sperm whales look like “alien egg sacs” while they sleep remains unknown.
Also Read:
Zahi Hawass Dug Up a Lost, 3,000-Year-Old Egyptian City – and Discovery+ Got the TV Rights (Exclusive)
All eight episodes of “Chasing Ocean Giants” are set to debut on the streaming service on Thursday,...
Free diver and filmmaker Patrick Dykstra goes in search of “some of the world’s most enigmatic creatures” in the Discovery+ documentary series “Chasing Ocean Giants.” Watch an exclusive preview from the series above.
The eight-episode series follows Dykstra as he documents the behavior of whales around the world, “from Arctic Bowheads going head-to-head with killer whales in Russia, to night singing humpbacks in Colombia.”
In the clip from the premiere episode, Dykstra travels to the Caribbean island of Dominica to examine the behavior of sperm whales and encounters a pod of whales taking an eerily vertical “power nap.” According to Dykstra, the reason sperm whales look like “alien egg sacs” while they sleep remains unknown.
Also Read:
Zahi Hawass Dug Up a Lost, 3,000-Year-Old Egyptian City – and Discovery+ Got the TV Rights (Exclusive)
All eight episodes of “Chasing Ocean Giants” are set to debut on the streaming service on Thursday,...
- 4/23/2021
- by Reid Nakamura
- The Wrap
In today’s TV news roundup, Discovery Plus released a trailer for “The Swim,” and Apple TV Plus announced original Earth Day programming, including “The Year Earth Changed” and new seasons of “Tiny World” and “Earth At Night In Color.”
Dates
Apple TV Plus announced new original Earth Day programming set to premiere on April 16, including “The Year Earth Changed” and new seasons of “Tiny World” and “Earth At Night In Color.” “The Year Earth Changed,” narrated by David Attenborough, is a special highlighting nature’s resiliency during the pandemic. It is produced by BBC Studios National History Unit, directed by Tom Beard and executive produced by Mike Gunton and Alice Keens-Soper. Coming back for a second season, “Tiny World” is a six-episode docuseries that illuminates the the ingenuity of Earth’s smallest creatures. Paul Rudd narrates and executive produces alongside Tom Hugh Jones, who also serves as writer with David Fowler.
Dates
Apple TV Plus announced new original Earth Day programming set to premiere on April 16, including “The Year Earth Changed” and new seasons of “Tiny World” and “Earth At Night In Color.” “The Year Earth Changed,” narrated by David Attenborough, is a special highlighting nature’s resiliency during the pandemic. It is produced by BBC Studios National History Unit, directed by Tom Beard and executive produced by Mike Gunton and Alice Keens-Soper. Coming back for a second season, “Tiny World” is a six-episode docuseries that illuminates the the ingenuity of Earth’s smallest creatures. Paul Rudd narrates and executive produces alongside Tom Hugh Jones, who also serves as writer with David Fowler.
- 3/29/2021
- by Ethan Shanfeld
- Variety Film + TV
In today’s TV news roundup, HBO Max ordered a new streetwear competition series, and Variety has an exclusive first look at Carey Mulligan in “My Grandparents’ War.”
Casting
Angela Bassett will narrate Fox’s “Malika the Lion Queen,” a two-hour wildlife documentary that will air April 4 and be available on Tubi beginning April 18. Bassett will guide viewers through an educational exploration of the true queens and leaders in the lion kingdom. The special tells the untold story of the lioness experience through the exhilarating and harrowing life of Malika. It is produced by Plimsoll Productions and executive produced by Tom Hugh-Jones, Martha Holmes and Grant Mansfield. Watch a teaser below.
Dates
“Birdgirl” will debut on Adult Swim at midnight on April 4. The “Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law” spinoff sees 30-something Judy Ken Sebben inherit her father’s socially irresponsible company. To set things right, She assembles the ragtag Birdteam...
Casting
Angela Bassett will narrate Fox’s “Malika the Lion Queen,” a two-hour wildlife documentary that will air April 4 and be available on Tubi beginning April 18. Bassett will guide viewers through an educational exploration of the true queens and leaders in the lion kingdom. The special tells the untold story of the lioness experience through the exhilarating and harrowing life of Malika. It is produced by Plimsoll Productions and executive produced by Tom Hugh-Jones, Martha Holmes and Grant Mansfield. Watch a teaser below.
Dates
“Birdgirl” will debut on Adult Swim at midnight on April 4. The “Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law” spinoff sees 30-something Judy Ken Sebben inherit her father’s socially irresponsible company. To set things right, She assembles the ragtag Birdteam...
- 3/16/2021
- by Haley Bosselman
- Variety Film + TV
Fox is roaming into natural history with a two-hour special narrated by 9-1-1 star Angela Bassett. The network has ordered Malika the Lion Queen, a documentary about the lionesses of a pride in South Africa’s Kruger National Park.
The special, which is produced by British production company Plimsoll Productions, the business behind Apple TV+’s Tiny World, will launch April 4 at 8 p.m. and will be available on Fox’s AVOD streamer Tubi beginning April 18.
It marks the network’s first move into the natural history genre – an area dominated by the BBC and cable networks such as Discovery and Nat Geo as well as increased moves by streamers such as Netflix and Apple.
It comes as Fox is no longer a sister company to Nat Geo following the Disney deal and after NBC also dipped its toe into the genre with a 10-part series from BBC Studios Natural History Unit,...
The special, which is produced by British production company Plimsoll Productions, the business behind Apple TV+’s Tiny World, will launch April 4 at 8 p.m. and will be available on Fox’s AVOD streamer Tubi beginning April 18.
It marks the network’s first move into the natural history genre – an area dominated by the BBC and cable networks such as Discovery and Nat Geo as well as increased moves by streamers such as Netflix and Apple.
It comes as Fox is no longer a sister company to Nat Geo following the Disney deal and after NBC also dipped its toe into the genre with a 10-part series from BBC Studios Natural History Unit,...
- 3/16/2021
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
The Wildscreen Festival, the world’s leading natural history TV and film event, is to take place online for its 20th anniversary edition this October.
The biennial festival has become the latest in a long line of events to go virtual due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Wildscreen is based in Bristol, a city in England’s southwest nicknamed ‘Green Hollywood’ because it produces more natural history film and TV than any other city in the world.
The online edition of the festival, already slated for Oct. 19-23, will include keynotes, masterclasses, sessions, commissioner meetings, film premieres and screenings with director interviews, and a new program of one-to-one meetings.
Over 300 films will also be available over a three-month period between September to December, which will then be accompanied by industry content released during the festival week.
The week will also feature a virtual version of the global wildlife film and TV industry’s Wildscreen Panda Awards,...
The biennial festival has become the latest in a long line of events to go virtual due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Wildscreen is based in Bristol, a city in England’s southwest nicknamed ‘Green Hollywood’ because it produces more natural history film and TV than any other city in the world.
The online edition of the festival, already slated for Oct. 19-23, will include keynotes, masterclasses, sessions, commissioner meetings, film premieres and screenings with director interviews, and a new program of one-to-one meetings.
Over 300 films will also be available over a three-month period between September to December, which will then be accompanied by industry content released during the festival week.
The week will also feature a virtual version of the global wildlife film and TV industry’s Wildscreen Panda Awards,...
- 5/28/2020
- by Tim Dams
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: ITV is moving into the resurgent natural history space with its first major wildlife series in a number of years, taking on the likes of the BBC, Netflix and Discovery.
The British commercial broadcaster is working with Hostile Planet producer Plimsoll Productions on landmark doc series A Year On Planet Earth (w/t) and the Grant Mansfield-run business is currently in La pitching the project to U.S. broadcasters and streaming platforms to finalize its financing.
A Year On Planet Earth is being overseen by showrunner Tom Hugh-Jones, creative director at Plimsoll, who was the showrunner of the BBC’s Planet Earth II and Nat Geo’s Hostile Planet, and Plimsoll’s Head of Wildlife, Dr Martha Holmes.
Deadline understands that the series showcases the planet’s annual journey around the sun and its impact on the globe.
Hugh-Jones and Holmes are in La this week, on the...
The British commercial broadcaster is working with Hostile Planet producer Plimsoll Productions on landmark doc series A Year On Planet Earth (w/t) and the Grant Mansfield-run business is currently in La pitching the project to U.S. broadcasters and streaming platforms to finalize its financing.
A Year On Planet Earth is being overseen by showrunner Tom Hugh-Jones, creative director at Plimsoll, who was the showrunner of the BBC’s Planet Earth II and Nat Geo’s Hostile Planet, and Plimsoll’s Head of Wildlife, Dr Martha Holmes.
Deadline understands that the series showcases the planet’s annual journey around the sun and its impact on the globe.
Hugh-Jones and Holmes are in La this week, on the...
- 9/18/2019
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Plimsoll Productions, the production company behind series including Nat Geo’s Hostile Planet and Yellowstone Live, has secured multi-million-dollar investment from private equity firm Ldc.
The investment firm has taken a minority stake in the natural history and wildlife producer, which was founded by former Zodiak USA chief Grant Mansfield. The deal values the company at around $100M.
Headquartered in Bristol, UK, Plimsoll was founded in 2013 and has more than 400 employees across the UK and La. It is behind more than 50 series, 14 live shows and seven films including Channel 4’s Rescue Dog to Super Dog and ITV’s Life at the Extreme. It is also making a raft of series for streaming services, including commissions from Apple’s forthcoming platform.
The company is on track to generate sales of around $42M for its financial year ending August 2019 including sales to a slew of international broadcasters via distributor Magnify Media,...
The investment firm has taken a minority stake in the natural history and wildlife producer, which was founded by former Zodiak USA chief Grant Mansfield. The deal values the company at around $100M.
Headquartered in Bristol, UK, Plimsoll was founded in 2013 and has more than 400 employees across the UK and La. It is behind more than 50 series, 14 live shows and seven films including Channel 4’s Rescue Dog to Super Dog and ITV’s Life at the Extreme. It is also making a raft of series for streaming services, including commissions from Apple’s forthcoming platform.
The company is on track to generate sales of around $42M for its financial year ending August 2019 including sales to a slew of international broadcasters via distributor Magnify Media,...
- 8/12/2019
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Over the decades that the national park has fascinated the public, there’s an obvious list of animals that get associated with Yellowstone. From nature programs like the ongoing, four-night “Yellowstone Live” event happening this week on NatGeo to the gift shops in and around the park, images of grizzly bears, elk, bison, and bald eagles seem to go hand in hand with the park itself. But over the past two years, “Yellowstone Live” has also found a surprising addition to those ranks: the beaver.
James Hogan, a wildlife cinematographer who is following a number of animals for live broadcasts throughout the park for “Yellowstone Live,” has been filming beavers for decades. With his lengthy experience tracking these animals, he’s had plenty of experience in seeing how the tiniest exposure to them can garner fast fans.
“I gotta say that I’ve been filming these beavers for like 20 years...
James Hogan, a wildlife cinematographer who is following a number of animals for live broadcasts throughout the park for “Yellowstone Live,” has been filming beavers for decades. With his lengthy experience tracking these animals, he’s had plenty of experience in seeing how the tiniest exposure to them can garner fast fans.
“I gotta say that I’ve been filming these beavers for like 20 years...
- 6/26/2019
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
On the second day of summer, it snowed in Montana.
At upper elevations in and around Yellowstone National Park, there were multiple days of some very uncharacteristic June weather. It may seem like that turn of meteorological events would be cause for concern for a production team staring down four straight nights of live programming from America’s most famous national park. But it may have turned out to be a last unexpected piece to the puzzle.
“The backdrop is fantastic. I am the only person here who was thrilled that it snowed,” Al Berman joked with reporters this past weekend. As an executive producer on the series, Berman knew that having snow in key areas of the park, particularly in the Lamar Valley region, would make for some incredible images of high-profile animal occupants walking along a wintery-looking ground past the end of spring.
Airing last year in August,...
At upper elevations in and around Yellowstone National Park, there were multiple days of some very uncharacteristic June weather. It may seem like that turn of meteorological events would be cause for concern for a production team staring down four straight nights of live programming from America’s most famous national park. But it may have turned out to be a last unexpected piece to the puzzle.
“The backdrop is fantastic. I am the only person here who was thrilled that it snowed,” Al Berman joked with reporters this past weekend. As an executive producer on the series, Berman knew that having snow in key areas of the park, particularly in the Lamar Valley region, would make for some incredible images of high-profile animal occupants walking along a wintery-looking ground past the end of spring.
Airing last year in August,...
- 6/25/2019
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
New tech for producers, fresh platforms weighing in and a generation of environmentally conscious viewers have made natural history programming hot. With Oscar-winning filmmakers finding new ways to tell stories, and wildlife TV-friendly 4K TV sets shipping in greater numbers, insiders say we are headed into a golden age of natural history.
“The natural history genre is just booming, when you think about the number of projects announced that are out in the field, and coming to fruition,” says Geoff Daniels, executive vice president, global unscripted entertainment, at National Geographic Channels, and a former general manager of the Nat Geo Wild cable net. “Where the technology is leading us is allowing us to set the bar even higher in terms of cinematic craft and storytelling.”
Discovery and the BBC agree that we’re entering a golden age of natural history: Discovery will launch a global streaming service given over to...
“The natural history genre is just booming, when you think about the number of projects announced that are out in the field, and coming to fruition,” says Geoff Daniels, executive vice president, global unscripted entertainment, at National Geographic Channels, and a former general manager of the Nat Geo Wild cable net. “Where the technology is leading us is allowing us to set the bar even higher in terms of cinematic craft and storytelling.”
Discovery and the BBC agree that we’re entering a golden age of natural history: Discovery will launch a global streaming service given over to...
- 4/8/2019
- by Stewart Clarke
- Variety Film + TV
Bear Grylls calls National Geographic’s Hostile Planet a story that’s never been told showing life on the edges and how hard it really is. The six part series delves into the real stars, animals that have adapted to the cruelest evolutionary curveballs.
Grylls, who serves as executive producer, host, and narrator of the series, was joined on a panel during Television Critics Association spring presentation on Sunday by cinematographer and director Guillermo Navarro, producer Martha Holmes, executive producer Tom Hugh-Jones, and producer, director, and cinematographer Mateo Willis to discuss what audiences can expect when the series premieres on April 1 at 9/8c.
“What I think is incredible about Hostile Planet is that so many of these stories are just heartbreaking,” said Grylls. “It’s an emotional thing to watch. Growing up as a kid, I was glued to the television watching National Geographic shows about the planet. It was always such a spectacle,...
Grylls, who serves as executive producer, host, and narrator of the series, was joined on a panel during Television Critics Association spring presentation on Sunday by cinematographer and director Guillermo Navarro, producer Martha Holmes, executive producer Tom Hugh-Jones, and producer, director, and cinematographer Mateo Willis to discuss what audiences can expect when the series premieres on April 1 at 9/8c.
“What I think is incredible about Hostile Planet is that so many of these stories are just heartbreaking,” said Grylls. “It’s an emotional thing to watch. Growing up as a kid, I was glued to the television watching National Geographic shows about the planet. It was always such a spectacle,...
- 2/11/2019
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
UK and U.S.-based factual entertainment and wildlife producer Plimsoll Productions has hired Oscar-winning documentarian Richard Klein to head its new documentary division. The company also has promoted three key execs – Tom Hugh-Jones to Creative Director of Natural History, Jonathan Jackson to Finance and Commercial Director and Chris Williams to Series Producer. All will work out of the company’s headquarters in Bristol with Klein reporting directly to Chief Executive Grant Mansfield, Hugh-Jones to Head of Natural History Martha Holmes, Jackson to Chief Operating Officer Christine Owen and Williams to Head of Factual Entertainment Karen Plumb.
In his new role, Klein will oversee documentary programming for the UK and international broadcasters. During his career, he has produced more than 100 documentaries and has led factual commissioning at both the BBC and ITV and run BBC4. His credits include the Oscar-winning Man on Wire, The White Season, The Verdict, Traffic Cops,...
In his new role, Klein will oversee documentary programming for the UK and international broadcasters. During his career, he has produced more than 100 documentaries and has led factual commissioning at both the BBC and ITV and run BBC4. His credits include the Oscar-winning Man on Wire, The White Season, The Verdict, Traffic Cops,...
- 11/1/2018
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Nat Geo Greenlights ‘Hostile Planet’ Docuseries From Guillermo Navarro & ‘Planet Earth II’ Producers
National Geographic has given the green light to Hostile Planet, a six-part docuseries from Oscar-winning cinematographer and director Guillermo Navarro (Pan’s Labyrinth), Emmy-nominated producer Martha Holmes (The Blue Planet) and Emmy winner Tom Hugh-Jones (Planet Earth II). The pick-up comes ahead of National Geographic’s Further Front.
The series, produced by Plimsoll Productions, takes an intimate look at the way animals have found ways to survive in the world’s most inhospitable landscapes. Per Nat Geo: “Set against the backdrop of a more violent and volatile climate, the battles for survival take on a new urgency as animals face intensified wildfires, blizzards, droughts and downpours. To some, the new challenges are too much, but for others, it presents new opportunities.” Hostile Planet uses new camera technology to allow a close-up vantage point as the animals navigate through their changing landscapes.
“The series celebrates the surprising resiliency of animals that...
The series, produced by Plimsoll Productions, takes an intimate look at the way animals have found ways to survive in the world’s most inhospitable landscapes. Per Nat Geo: “Set against the backdrop of a more violent and volatile climate, the battles for survival take on a new urgency as animals face intensified wildfires, blizzards, droughts and downpours. To some, the new challenges are too much, but for others, it presents new opportunities.” Hostile Planet uses new camera technology to allow a close-up vantage point as the animals navigate through their changing landscapes.
“The series celebrates the surprising resiliency of animals that...
- 4/18/2018
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Blu-ray/DVD Release Date: April 9, 2013
Price: Blu-ray/DVD Combo $24.97
Studio: BBC Home Entertainment/Warner Home Video
Cute animals, James Bond and the BBC. What’s not to like in One Life?
Daniel Craig (Skyfall) narrates the nature documentary, which was directed by Michael Gunton, from Earth: The Movie, Madagascar and Africa, and Martha Holmes, from The Blue Planet.
They follow life from all over the globe, stories of survival and animal ingenuity from birth to the next generation. Whether they have wings, flippers, eight legs or two, the movie shows that life connects us all.
And with filmmaking pedigree like Gunton and Holmes, not to mention the excellence of BBC behind the film, you know the documentary will be gorgeous.
One Life is only available as a Blu-ray/DVD Combo in the U.S., not a single DVD. The discs contain these special features:
“The Making of One Life” with...
Price: Blu-ray/DVD Combo $24.97
Studio: BBC Home Entertainment/Warner Home Video
Cute animals, James Bond and the BBC. What’s not to like in One Life?
Daniel Craig (Skyfall) narrates the nature documentary, which was directed by Michael Gunton, from Earth: The Movie, Madagascar and Africa, and Martha Holmes, from The Blue Planet.
They follow life from all over the globe, stories of survival and animal ingenuity from birth to the next generation. Whether they have wings, flippers, eight legs or two, the movie shows that life connects us all.
And with filmmaking pedigree like Gunton and Holmes, not to mention the excellence of BBC behind the film, you know the documentary will be gorgeous.
One Life is only available as a Blu-ray/DVD Combo in the U.S., not a single DVD. The discs contain these special features:
“The Making of One Life” with...
- 3/28/2013
- by Sam
- Disc Dish
Less mushy than its Disney Nature counterparts but still driven by the same anthropomorphizing philosophy, One Life (the first film released under the new BBC Earth theatrical banner) is another gorgeously shot document of nature's majesty, this one focusing on the life cycle—and interconnectedness—of all living creatures. From the snow monkeys of Japan to the cheetahs of Kenya to the humpback whales of the South Pacific, Michael Gunton and Martha Holmes' documentary (narrated by Daniel Craig) captures wondrous sights, few as amazing as that of Argentina's woodcutter ants, whose work severing and hauling grass stalks down into their subterranean hole is a visual splendor that suggests stop-motion animation. Beautiful slo-mo, up-close-and-personal cinematography aboun...
- 2/20/2013
- Village Voice
BBC Worldwide announces a limited engagement run of documentary "One Life," narrated by Daniel Craig. From the creators of "Earth: the Movie," the fifth highest-grossing documentary to date, the film follows the spectrum of the human journey from birth until the "delivery of the next generation." The documentary is helmed by Michael Gunton ("Earth") and Martha Holmes ("Blue Planet") of the BBC Natural History unit. It marks the first non-fiction film for which actor Craig has lent his voice, and will be in the mold of David Attenborough's famous "Blue Planet" narration. Craig stated: “For the filmmakers who spend their entire lives recording beautiful images of planet earth’s dwindling wildlife, I have only a sense of awe and a deep rooted respect. I am incredibly fortunate to have been given the chance to play a very small part in that process." The film will premiere on more than...
- 2/6/2013
- by Beth Hanna
- Thompson on Hollywood
One Life
Directed by Michael Gunton and Martha Holmes
UK, 2012
Remember the first 30 minutes of 2001: A Space Odyssey, when the primates encounter the black monolith and begin taking on human attributes and advanced levels of cognitive capability? Well, expand that episode to an hour and thirty minutes, and the result is the BBC Earth documentary One Life. Inconspicuously narrated by Daniel Craig, One Life shatters the misconception that the animal kingdom is drastically different from humankind’s.
Like most nature-oriented documentary films, One Life does not have a traditional narrative per se. Instead, the film chooses to use a story arc that we are all familiar with – the periodical milestones of human existence. To chronicle the miracles of birth, coming-of-age, adulthood, and love, the film uses awe-inspiring footage of animals from around the world to show us that these concepts are not exclusively human; that we all share a collective conscience,...
Directed by Michael Gunton and Martha Holmes
UK, 2012
Remember the first 30 minutes of 2001: A Space Odyssey, when the primates encounter the black monolith and begin taking on human attributes and advanced levels of cognitive capability? Well, expand that episode to an hour and thirty minutes, and the result is the BBC Earth documentary One Life. Inconspicuously narrated by Daniel Craig, One Life shatters the misconception that the animal kingdom is drastically different from humankind’s.
Like most nature-oriented documentary films, One Life does not have a traditional narrative per se. Instead, the film chooses to use a story arc that we are all familiar with – the periodical milestones of human existence. To chronicle the miracles of birth, coming-of-age, adulthood, and love, the film uses awe-inspiring footage of animals from around the world to show us that these concepts are not exclusively human; that we all share a collective conscience,...
- 3/31/2012
- by Justin Li
- SoundOnSight
It’s not often that natural history documentaries become feature films but recently I have had the good fortune to cast my critical eye over two interesting but very different examples.
One Life is a BBC Earth production that plays like a slightly extended version of the acclaimed BBC One-David Attenborough television series, Life. The reason for this is that all of the footage comes from the 10,000 hours that were actually shot for the show. As such the film feels more like a highlights reel for the series albeit with narration by a Hollywood actor (Daniel Craig).
According to the press release, the film ‘offers an accessible narrative that children will love’, by which they mean a very loose narrative that revolves around the fact that just like humans, animals are born, they live and then they die – hardly a unique perspective for a wildlife documentary.
Children don’t...
One Life is a BBC Earth production that plays like a slightly extended version of the acclaimed BBC One-David Attenborough television series, Life. The reason for this is that all of the footage comes from the 10,000 hours that were actually shot for the show. As such the film feels more like a highlights reel for the series albeit with narration by a Hollywood actor (Daniel Craig).
According to the press release, the film ‘offers an accessible narrative that children will love’, by which they mean a very loose narrative that revolves around the fact that just like humans, animals are born, they live and then they die – hardly a unique perspective for a wildlife documentary.
Children don’t...
- 12/8/2011
- Shadowlocked
One Life offers you a close encounter with all things wild this autumn. Created for a family audience the film reveals the bonds that connect all living creatures on our planet through a series of imaginative and vividly captured stories. It’s released on 21st October on DVD and Blu-ray, and to mark the release we have 3 Blu-rays to give away!
A major feature length production from BBC Earth Films, One Life has been created from10,000 hours of incredible, intimate footage of amazing creatures that are in turn heroic, strange, loveable, beautiful and surprisingly funny.
One Life is voiced by Daniel Craig and offers an accessible narrative that children will love. It is directed by Michael Gunton and Martha Holmes from the BBC Natural History Unit and is a joyful celebration of the most brilliant and imaginative stories of survival from the natural world. Families and filmgoers of all ages...
A major feature length production from BBC Earth Films, One Life has been created from10,000 hours of incredible, intimate footage of amazing creatures that are in turn heroic, strange, loveable, beautiful and surprisingly funny.
One Life is voiced by Daniel Craig and offers an accessible narrative that children will love. It is directed by Michael Gunton and Martha Holmes from the BBC Natural History Unit and is a joyful celebration of the most brilliant and imaginative stories of survival from the natural world. Families and filmgoers of all ages...
- 11/4/2011
- by Competitons
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Beginners (15)
(Mike Mills, 2010, Us) Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer, Mélanie Laurent. 105 mins
Mills doesn't iron out the hipster-auteur quirks here – a subtitled dog, freeform photomontages, felt-tip illustrations – but he puts them to the service of an authentic drama. McGregor is an La loner whose widowed father (Plummer) came out as gay and enjoyed a few hedonistic years before his death. Not your standard indie baggage, this warm, smartly told story deals with it sincerely, and gets the sweet/sad balance just about right.
Horrible Bosses (15)
(Seth Gordon, 2011, Us) Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis. 98 mins
Clearly aiming for the post-Hangover fratcom market, this sees three guys' plan to off their bosses go awry from the outset, with occasionally amusing, but often crude consequences. Colourful big-name cameos gloss over some political dodginess.
The Big Picture (15)
(Eric Lartigau, 2010, Fra) Romain Duris, Marina Foïs, Niels Arestrup. 115 mins
Duris proves his leading man capabilities amply...
(Mike Mills, 2010, Us) Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer, Mélanie Laurent. 105 mins
Mills doesn't iron out the hipster-auteur quirks here – a subtitled dog, freeform photomontages, felt-tip illustrations – but he puts them to the service of an authentic drama. McGregor is an La loner whose widowed father (Plummer) came out as gay and enjoyed a few hedonistic years before his death. Not your standard indie baggage, this warm, smartly told story deals with it sincerely, and gets the sweet/sad balance just about right.
Horrible Bosses (15)
(Seth Gordon, 2011, Us) Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis. 98 mins
Clearly aiming for the post-Hangover fratcom market, this sees three guys' plan to off their bosses go awry from the outset, with occasionally amusing, but often crude consequences. Colourful big-name cameos gloss over some political dodginess.
The Big Picture (15)
(Eric Lartigau, 2010, Fra) Romain Duris, Marina Foïs, Niels Arestrup. 115 mins
Duris proves his leading man capabilities amply...
- 7/22/2011
- by Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
Trailers are an under-appreciated art form insofar that many times they’re seen as vehicles for showing footage, explaining films away, or showing their hand about what moviegoers can expect. Foreign, domestic, independent, big budget: I celebrate all levels of trailers and hopefully this column will satisfactorily give you a baseline of what beta wave I’m operating on, because what better way to hone your skills as a thoughtful moviegoer than by deconstructing these little pieces of advertising? Some of the best authors will tell you that writing a short story is a lot harder than writing a long one, that you have to weigh every sentence. What better medium to see how this theory plays itself out beyond that than with movie trailers? Ra.One Trailer Realize that when we showcased the teaser trailer for this film [1] a few months ago you animals went wild with dozens upon...
- 7/15/2011
- by Christopher Stipp
- Slash Film
If, like us, you've ever wondered whether cheetah cubs are born fast or must achieve fastness, One Life could be the movie for you. A BBC Earth Film, it's narrated by Daniel Craig and has a new poster guest starring those African four-legged speedsters available for gazing purposes just below.As much as we love them, not too many wildlife documentaries appear on these webpages but with 007 on voiceover duties, we can't let this one go by unnoted. It's a feature from the same corner of the Beeb, the BBC Natural History Unit, that provided sparkling nature docs like Earth and Deep Blue. It was four years in the making and promises footage of so-far unseen animal behaviour and - this is the good bit - animals never before captured on camera. Including viperwolves, we're hoping.One Life is directed by Trials Of Life man Michael Gunton and Blue Planet producer Martha Holmes.
- 6/20/2011
- EmpireOnline
Daniel Craig will narrate upcoming natural history film One Life, it has been announced. The James Bond star will voice the theatrical feature film, which celebrates living creatures' journeys from birth to the delivery of the next generation. It has been produced by BBC Earth Films and Magic Light Pictures.
The film, directed by Michael Gunton and Martha Holmes from the BBC Natural History Unit, features animals filmed either for the first time - displaying never-before filmed behaviour - or captured using new filming techniques. "I am very proud to be part of BBC Earth's film One Life," Craig said. "The BBC Natural History Unit have proven, year after year, that their documentary skills are second to none. "For the filmmakers who spend their entire lives recording beautiful images of planet earth's dwindling wildlife, (more)...
The film, directed by Michael Gunton and Martha Holmes from the BBC Natural History Unit, features animals filmed either for the first time - displaying never-before filmed behaviour - or captured using new filming techniques. "I am very proud to be part of BBC Earth's film One Life," Craig said. "The BBC Natural History Unit have proven, year after year, that their documentary skills are second to none. "For the filmmakers who spend their entire lives recording beautiful images of planet earth's dwindling wildlife, (more)...
- 4/30/2011
- by By Colin Daniels
- Digital Spy
BBC Earth, the global natural history brand for BBC Worldwide, and Indian entertainment giant, Reliance Big Entertainment, are to partner on three motion pictures. All three films will be distributed by Reliance's international film sales and financing subsidiary, Im Global. The deal was jointly announced today by BBC Worldwide's Managing Director of Global Brands, Marcus Arthur and Im Global Founder and CEO Stuart Ford. The first theatrical feature to be co-produced under the relationship will be the $65m 3D live action feature Walking With Dinosaurs 3D inspired by the BBC's landmark Walking With Dinosaurs brand. The picture will be co-directed by Pierre De Lespinois of Los Angeles and Alaska based 3D studio Evergreen Films and BBC Earth's Neil Nightingale (formerly the Head of the BBC Natural History Unit). BBC Earth and Evergreen Films will be working with Academy Award winning animation house Animal Logic (Happy Feet) and leading...
- 11/2/2010
- by Bollywood Hungama News Network
- BollywoodHungama
BBC Earth, the global natural history brand for BBC Worldwide, and Indian entertainment giant, Reliance Big Entertainment, are to partner on three motion pictures. All three films will be distributed by Reliance's international film sales and financing subsidiary, Im Global. The deal was jointly announced today by BBC Worldwide's Managing Director of Global Brands, Marcus Arthur and Im Global Founder and CEO Stuart Ford. The first theatrical feature to be co-produced under the relationship will be the $65m 3D live action feature Walking With Dinosaurs 3D inspired by the BBC's landmark Walking With Dinosaurs brand. The picture will be co-directed by Pierre De Lespinois of Los Angeles and Alaska based 3D studio Evergreen Films and BBC Earth's Neil Nightingale (formerly the Head of the BBC Natural History Unit). BBC Earth and Evergreen Films will be working with Academy Award winning animation house Animal Logic (Happy Feet) and leading...
- 11/2/2010
- by Bollywood Hungama News Network
- BollywoodHungama
BBC Earth (2007's Earth) and India's Reliance Big Entertainment are partnering on three films; Reliance's Im Global will distribute. The three films are: $65 million live-action/CGI Walking with Dinosaurs 3D, directed by Pierre De Lespinois and Neil Nightingale, which will use groundbreaking 3-D cameras and Lidar (Light, Detection and Ranging) technology; $25-million documentary feature Africa 3D, and documentary feature Life, from co-directors Mike Gunton and Martha Holmes, which follows a series of animal kingdom life-cycle stories. Life is currently in post-production and will be released next year.
- 11/1/2010
- Thompson on Hollywood
BBC Worldwide and Reliance Big Entertainment have pacted to co-produce and distribute three movies that will kick off with a 3D live action feature Walking With Dinosaurs, budgeted at $65 million.
The agreement involves BBC Earth, the BBC’s natural history brand, which oversaw the six-part TV documentary Walking With Dinosaurs, which first aired in the U.K. in 1999.
The film version will be co-directed by Pierre De Lespinois of 3D studio Evergreen Films and BBC Earth’s Neil Nightingale (formerly the head of the BBC Natural History Unit). BBC Earth and Evergreen will also work with animation house Animal Logic (Happy Feet) and animation producer Jinko Gotoh (9, Finding Nemo) on the film.
BBC Earth will also partner with Evergreen for the second picture in the pact -- the $25m documentary feature Africa 3D which will be filmed alongside Africa, the BBC’s upcoming television series.
All three films under the...
The agreement involves BBC Earth, the BBC’s natural history brand, which oversaw the six-part TV documentary Walking With Dinosaurs, which first aired in the U.K. in 1999.
The film version will be co-directed by Pierre De Lespinois of 3D studio Evergreen Films and BBC Earth’s Neil Nightingale (formerly the head of the BBC Natural History Unit). BBC Earth and Evergreen will also work with animation house Animal Logic (Happy Feet) and animation producer Jinko Gotoh (9, Finding Nemo) on the film.
BBC Earth will also partner with Evergreen for the second picture in the pact -- the $25m documentary feature Africa 3D which will be filmed alongside Africa, the BBC’s upcoming television series.
All three films under the...
- 11/1/2010
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Chicago – No network or film company has ever come close to equaling the nature documentaries produced by BBC’s Natural History Unit. From 1979’s “Life on Earth” to 2001’s “The Blue Planet” and 2006’s “Planet Earth,” the BBC has electrified viewers worldwide with its stunning and often humbling images of life on our planet. This is the type of programming that Blu-Ray players were made for.
The network’s latest miniseries, simply titled “Life,” is unquestionably its most spectacular achievement yet, purely in terms of its visual brilliance. Though some longtime viewers may recognize various animal subjects and factual tidbits recycled from previous shows, the footage (shot over a three-year period) has a crystalline clarity that makes its predecessors look positively murky in comparison. It’s flat-out painful to view the gorgeous shots taken of the Great Barrier Reef, in light of the recent oil spill. “Life” doesn’t need...
The network’s latest miniseries, simply titled “Life,” is unquestionably its most spectacular achievement yet, purely in terms of its visual brilliance. Though some longtime viewers may recognize various animal subjects and factual tidbits recycled from previous shows, the footage (shot over a three-year period) has a crystalline clarity that makes its predecessors look positively murky in comparison. It’s flat-out painful to view the gorgeous shots taken of the Great Barrier Reef, in light of the recent oil spill. “Life” doesn’t need...
- 5/26/2010
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
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