OceanXplorers

OceanXplorers is a new National Geographic mini-series following the crew and a research vessel focused on exploring 80% of Earth’s uncharted oceans. The six-episode series is executive produced and narrated by James Cameron and premiered on August 18, 2024.

“My true passion lies in deep ocean science and in exploration,” Cameron tells National Geographic. “In ‘OceanXplorers,’ we take viewers on an unparalleled ocean science adventure, introducing them to a group of principled, passionate people on a sometimes dangerous mission of ocean discovery in real time. We present the stakes, and firsts, and tell a visually spectacular and dramatic story – a story that inspires the next generation of explorers and adventurers committed to protecting and preserving our oceans.”

The ship has two submersibles, a helicopter, marine science labs and a media studio.

“Realm of the Humpbacks” premieres Aug. 18 at 9/8c
“Giants of the Deep” premieres Aug. 18 at 10/9c
“Jurassic Shark” premieres Aug. 25 at 9/8c
“Hammerhead Highway” premieres Aug. 25 at 10/9c
“Kingdom of the Polar Bear” premieres Sept. 1 at 9/8c
“Ice Giants” premieres Sept. 1 at 10/9c

Episodes of OceanXplorers are available on Disney+ and Hulu.

The Hexadome Experience

The Hexadome Experience is an activation from National Geographic during D23 featuring giant screens surrounding guests in the shape of a hexagon. The short video presentation features over 25 different series, films and documentaries from National Geographic, showing off the beauty of our world. The ISM Hexadome included 52 speakers and 6 screens, immersing attendees with over 500 spatial audio channels and clips.

National Graphic collaborated with Little Cinema on the project with Sam Gill and Luke Neher as directors. The experience featured series like Animals Up Close with Bertie Gregory, Free Solo, JANE, Queens, A Real Bugs Life, Welcome to Earth and more.

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Limitless with Chris Hemsworth is getting a second season.

Synopsis: In season two of Limitless, Hemsworth will delve into a series of physical and mental obstacles
that people across the world face daily: mental agility, pain, burnout, and interpersonal connection. Amazing science and intense challenges are the inspiration for experiences that will push Chris to explore and grow as he’s never done before. To do that, Chris will need to travel to the ends of the Earth to uncover the latest scientific thinking and unlock some of the world’s best-kept secrets to living a better life.

A Real Bug’s Life is also getting renewed.

Synopsis: Inspired by the World of Disney and Pixar’s “A Bug’s Life,” the second season pick-up of Disney+ Original Series from National Geographic, an incredible adventure into micro bug worlds around the globe, where the forces of nature play out on a miniature scale and where tiny creatures rely on amazing powers and extraordinary alliances to make it through each day.

New series and specials announced include Pathological: Chasing a True Crime Con Man and Shark Beach with Anthony Mackie.

Pathological: Chasing a True Crime Con Man

Synopsis: An all-new docu-series following the rise and fall of bestselling French author and serial killer expert Stéphane Bourgoin, whose remarkable career was built on a foundation of morbid lies that are finally being unveiled in full. A meta-commentary on the global, cultural phenomenon of true crime entertainment, Pathological takes viewers through the dramatic twists and turns of Bourgoin’s life in front of and behind the camera and tracks his pursuit by a group of true crime enthusiasts, whose passion for the genre turned them into amateur sleuths and seekers of truth.

Shark Beach with Anthony Mackie

Synopsis: It follows Mackie in his hometown of New Orleans, where he grew up boating and angling and still practices the sport to date, a passion he now shares with his four sons. In this film, Mackie investigates a fishing phenomenon called depredation, in which a shark preys upon a fisher’s catch and consumes it before it can be retrieved. Across the globe, more and more fishers are encountering sharks, and a worrying number of sharks are taking their catch. After an increase in shark sightings in his hometown, Mackie sets out to learn more about these concerning cases from local fishing communities in Louisiana but discovers these human shark encounters may be pointing to larger environmental issues across the greater Gulf of Mexico.

Sally (Working Title)

National Geographic announced a new film, Sally (working title), from director Christina Costantini (Much Media), producer Dan Cogan (Story Syndicate) and producer Lauren Cioffi. The film explores the space pioneer with never-before-seen archival footage and commentary from Billie Jean King, Kathy Sullivan, Anna Lee Fisher and life partner Tam O’Shaughnessy.

Queens

The trailer for Queens was released and features music from Billie Eilish. Angela Bassett lends her voice as the narrator.

Secrets of the Octopus

A new trailer for Secrets of the Octopus was released, showcasing the beauty of the octopus.

Synopsis: Secrets of the Octopus is an Earth Day special that uncovers the secret lives of one of the most alien-like animals on the planet

Paul Rudd lends his voice as the narrator of the special.

Photographer

National Geographic released the trailer for Photographer, a new series that will premiere on March 18 on National Geographic at 8/7c and streams on March 19 on Disney+ and Hulu.

Synopsis: Photographer, from Oscar, BAFTA and Emmy award-winning filmmakers E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, the visually stunning six-part series turns the lens on the world’s most extraordinary visual storytellers, pairing them with today’s leading documentary directors for an unforgettable exploration of art, passion, and the power of perspective.

Directors announced include Pagan Harleman, Marshall Curry, Crystal Kayiza, Sam Pollard, Kristi Jacobson, and Rita Baghdadi.

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During this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, Nerd Reactor had the chance to chat with the wildlife filmmaker about how he got into wildlife filming, his upcoming show, the length of planning the shoots, the different challenges, helping bring awareness to endangered species, and more.

“My family – we’re all obsessed with water sports,” Gregory tells Nerd Reactor about his fascination with adventure. “At a really early age. I’ve got three brothers, and Mom and Dad and all were really into surfing, sailing, and water sports. For a really early age. I was always thrown into the sea. I think when you spend time, just kind of in the ocean in nature, you gain an appreciation of it by osmosis.”

Gregory found out in his teenage years that if he wanted others to get excited about the animals he’s obsessed with, he would have to go out there and take pictures of them. That was the catalyst for his life as a wildlife filmmaker that led him to win many wildlife photography competitions and catch the eye of the National Geographic magazine photographers.

“I called Steve Winter,” Gregory said. “He’s one of the all-time greats, and he was looking for a new assistant.
He offered me a job, you know, right place, right time. 10 years ago today, I started working for him, and that was my gateway to National Geographic.”

Creating a show like this takes a long time to prepare. Some footage would take months until they could finally go out there to capture footage.

“For the new show, Animals Up Close, which comes out in September, we did another episode to Antarctica. This time we were looking for killer whales, and that was 18 months of planning. Putting the right team together, and just logistically, it was so challenging. The episode from Epic Adventures with the fin whales, that’s Astralis. We use the same boat for the killer whale mission, the same team – Antarctic sailors – they’re just the best of the best. Sure getting to hang out with animals is the best bit. The second best bit is going to work with really interesting, talented people.”

It would take Gregory and his team to plan a year and a half for the Antarctica mission, and the actual shoot took 40 days. However, the longest shoot for Animals Up Close was filming pumas at Torres del Paine National Park in Chile.

“We spent 51 days on that shoot,” the wildlife host said. “It was a fun story. So this here on the right is the mother Petaca [he points to an image poster of a family of pumas from the series]. These are her two cubs. Petaca I first met when she was a cub four years ago. I have a bunch of tracker friends who have been following her. I spent a month with her and her mother when she was a cub – smaller than these cubs. She was this lovely fluffy ball of magic. Totally useless and entirely reliant on Mom. So we wanted to go back to see how she was doing. The chances of a puma surviving to adulthood are not very high. Not only did she survive, but she also now has her own cubs and it’s just amazing.”

With some animals being highly prized and few in numbers, they are on the verge of extinction. Gregory talks about how he worked with a team to help stop poachers.

“We did an elephant episode in the Central African Republic,” Gregory explained. “So it’s part of the Congo Basin, and we were filming forest elephants. They live in the jungle, really thick in the jungle unlike other savanna elephants, which is probably the elephant you’re more familiar with amongst lions in the big open plains. So they live in the jungle and they have much denser tusks than a savanna elephant. So their ivory is much more highly prized. It’s really sad that they’re being hunted to extinction. And we worked with the anti-poaching team who took me to their hangar where they stole confiscated guns and tusks. So the tusk I’m actually holding there was from an elephant that was killed that year. Really recent. It was probably 50 to 60-plus years old. Their numbers are nose-diving, and I think it’s really important to include that in the series.

“We don’t live in this Garden of Eden anymore,” he continued. “We’re doing horrible things to the environment. But the thing I’m most proud of about the project is not only that we show the doom and gloom, but we celebrate the conservation success stories, like the fin whale episode of Epic Adventures. There are wins to celebrate. The news cycle is so depressing. We need to celebrate the wins. That’s what we’re doing.”

National Geographic’s Animals Up Close with Bertie Gregory premieres on Disney+ on September 13, 2023.

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