National Geographic Announces New Projects From Will Smith, Benedict Cumberbatch & More for Disney+Lion

If you’re a fan of National Geographic and don’t yet subscribe to Disney+, you might want to change that with what’s coming up. During the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour, Courteney Monroe, president, National Geographic Content announced new original projects being produced for Disney+.

“At National Geographic, our strategy is to tell bold, best-in-class stories that ignite curiosity and inspire people to explore and care about our world,” said Monroe. “With premium, creatively ambitious shows from the very best storytellers in the world, we are bringing awe and wonder to the lives of global Disney+ subscribers with wildly entertaining National Geographic documentary series, feature documentary films, epic natural history and fact-based scripted drama.”

Plus, Ron Howard’s documentary We Feed People will launch on Disney+ Memorial Day weekend, Friday, May 27, following a festival run (starting with its global premiere at SXSW).

Check out details on the new projects below:

Blockbuster Non-Fiction Series

Pole to Pole: Actor and producer Will Smith leads viewers on an astounding journey from the bottom of the planet to its top — covering 26,000 miles from the South Pole to the North Pole — to unlock the mystery of Earth’s astonishing diversity and alchemy. Executive producers include Smith, Miguel Melendez, Terence Carter, Jane Root, Peter Lovering, Darren Aronofsky, and Ari Handel.

Unprecedented Epic Natural History Series

Great Migrations: Animals across every landscape embark on epic migrations in search of food, shelter and safe breeding grounds. Now, using the state-of-the-art remote cameras and drones and the latest tracking technology that can break down animal behavior by the hour, we can follow the drama, jeopardy and courage every step of the way. Executive producers are Tom Hugh-Jones and Martha Holmes. The showrunner is Sarah Gibbs.

National Geographic/Steve Raymer

Home: Filmed over an unprecedented decade and running an exceptional nine seasons, National Geographic and the world-leading BBC Studios Natural History Unit embark on Home, the most ambitious and definitive portrait of life on Earth ever attempted. Home will journey through five oceans and seven continents to reveal the deeply symbiotic relationships between all living things. Showrunner and producer is Doug Hope, producer is Gavin Boyland, and editor is Simon Blakeney.

Lion: Acclaimed director Jon Favreau, the world’s foremost natural history producer, Mike Gunton, and the BBC Studios Natural History Unit have joined forces in a formidable creative partnership to present a landmark series about one the world’s most majestic creatures. Lion will follow a single pride for an unprecedented four years. Executive producers are Favreau and Gunton and series editor is Simon Blakeney.

Secrets of the Elephants and Secrets of the Octopus: In Elephants in 2023, with conservationist Dr. Paula Kahumbu, we travel the globe to meet different families of elephants, each with their own set of remarkable cultural behaviors which they’ve adapted to suit the environment in which they live. Executive producers are James Cameron, Maria Wilhelm, and Lucinda Axelsson. Then wildlife scientist Dr. Alexandra Schnell will present Octopus. Executive producers are Cameron, Wilhelm, Colette Beaudry, and Adam Geiger.

Getty Images/iStockphoto

Sentient: Sentient will show that life at all scales — plants, animals and arguably, entire ecosystems — has aspects of sentience and will ask us to rethink our place in nature. Executive producers are Darren Aronofsky, Ari Handel, Mark Linfield, and Vanessa Berlowitz. The showrunner is Hannah Gibson.

Super/Natural: Narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch, this new series will utilize the latest scientific innovations and leading-edge filmmaking technology to reveal the secret powers and super-senses of the world’s most extraordinary animals, inviting viewers to see and hear beyond normal human perception to experience the natural world as a specific species does — from seeing flowers in bee-vision to eavesdropping on a conversation between elephant seals to soaring the length of a football field with glow-in-the-dark squirrels. Executive producers are James Cameron, Maria Wilhelm, Martha Holmes, and Tom Hugh-Jones. The showrunners are Matt Brandon and Bill Markham.

The Biggest Little Farm Series: Over the course of 14 years, the Chesters transformed that farm into Apricot Lane Farms, a magical working farm that reflects the biodiversity of our planet and continued to document the whole process in a new heartwarming series that’s akin to a real-life Charlotte’s Web. The series will introduce the audience to the animals on the farm. Executive producers are Erica Messer, Sandra Keats, and John Chester. The series is directed by John Chester.

National Geographic

Adventure Series

Beyond Belief with David Blaine: This new documentary adventure series brings viewers along as the magician and endurance artist goes on a global odyssey across remote cultures, each embedded with unique histories and practices. Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, David Blaine, Sara Bernstein, Justin Wilkes, and Matthew Akers are executive producers. Toby Oppenheimer is the executive producer and showrunner.

Epic Adventures of Bertie Gregory: The face of a new generation of aspirational adventurers and natural history filmmakers breaks the mold of the traditional natural history program by telling extraordinary, real-life animal stories and taking viewers with him for every beat of the action. This season will see Bertie braving the icy worlds of Antarctica in search of the biggest gathering of whales ever filmed and coming face-to-face with specialist buffalo-hunting lions in Zambia. Executive producers are Vanessa Berlowitz and Anwar Mamon. The showrunner is James Brickell.

Photographer: This stunning and intimate documentary series from E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin will tell the intensely personal stories of the world’s greatest visual storytellers and artists, from how they found themselves behind a camera to how they dedicate themselves to the endless pursuit of perfecting their craft. Each episode will be directed by a different filmmaker, who will partner with a photographer to tell the story of his or her life. Vasarhelyi and Chin directed the first episode featuring conservation photographers Paul Nicklen and Cristina Mittermeier.

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Fact-Based Scripted Series

A Small Light (Previously announced): A powerful limited scripted series tells the remarkable story of twentysomething Miep Gies who, when her boss Otto Frank came to her and asked her to hide his family from the Nazis during World War II, didn’t hesitate. The screenwriters are Joan Rater and Tony Phelan. Susanna Fogel will direct multiple episodes. Executive producers are Rater, Phelan, Fogel, Peter Traugott, Alon Shtruzman, and Avi Nir.