David Attenborough To Partner With National Geographic On New Documentary Spotlighting Threats To World’s Oceans And “How They Can Bounce Back”

EXCLUSIVE: Sir David Attenborough, fresh from his latest Emmy nomination, is partnering with National Geographic for the first time on a documentary that will explore the health of the world oceans.

NatGeo announced today it has given the green light to David Attenborough: Ocean (working title), a feature length film that will “share with a global audience the story of how we can, and must, restore the glory of Earth’s vast, interconnected waters.” The network said the documentary will be “presented and authored” by Attenborough, describing the 98-year-old broadcaster and conservationist as the world’s preeminent natural historian.

“After nearly a hundred years filming every aspect of the natural world, Attenborough delivers his most powerful message yet,” NatGeo writes. “In this feature-length special, he draws on his lifetime of knowledge and experience to take us on a journey of wonder through the planet’s most spectacular undersea habitats, revealing that we are currently living in the greatest age of ocean discovery, and showing beyond doubt that it is the most important place on Earth. While Attenborough exposes the biggest problems facing our ocean, his story is one of hope, and that in front of us is an opportunity for marine life to recover on a scale no one alive has ever seen before.”

In a statement, Attenborough said, “My lifetime has coincided with the great age of ocean discovery. Over the last hundred years, scientists and explorers have revealed remarkable new species, epic migrations and dazzling, complex ecosystems beyond anything I could have imagined as a young man. In this film, we share those wonderful discoveries, uncover why our ocean is in such poor health, and, perhaps most importantly, show how it can bounce back to life.”

In addition to his work as a naturalist, Attenborough may rank as the greatest narrator of nonfiction stories of all time, known for his warm, engaging and authoritative tone that thrums with delight and wonder in the natural world. He earned an Emmy nomination Wednesday as Best Narrator for Planet Earth III, from BBC America — his eighth nomination in that category. He has won that award three times, most recently in 2020 for narrating Seven Worlds One Planet.

Tom McDonald, National Geographic’s EVP of Global Factual and Unscripted Content, said, “There is no one better to deliver this landmark film than Sir David. I have had the privilege and pleasure of working with him many times over the past decade, and so I am, of course, personally and professionally thrilled that he has agreed to work with National Geographic for the very first time on a subject that is timely and close to his heart.”

David Attenborough: Ocean (wt) is being produced by Silverback with the backing of All3Media International, Ocean Ten Media, Minderoo Productions, National Geographic Society and Pristine Seas, Don Quixote ASBL and The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. NatGeo says the film will debut in theaters in 2025, before premiering globally on National Geographic and streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.

The film is being directed by Toby Nowlan, Keith Scholey and Colin Butfield and produced by Nowlan for Silverback. Executive producers include Louise Pedersen and Rachel Job for All3Media International, Tom McDonald and Janet Han Vissering for National Geographic, Jasper Smith and Arksen Ltd for 10% for the Ocean, Minderoo Productions Limited, Enric Sala for National Geographic Society and Pristine Seas, Kristin Rechberger for Dynamic Planet, Rolly van Rappard and Francoise van Rappard for Don Quixote ASBL, and HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco for The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.

Doug Anderson (Blue Planet and Our Planet), described by NatGeo as one of the world’s leading underwater cinematographers, will act as director of underwater photography. “Cameras will film across the Americas, Europe, Africa and Oceania, capturing the practical and affordable solutions to reversing harmful human activity along coral reefs, mangroves, coastal communities, fish farms, marine sanctuaries and many other habitats in order to return the ocean to its most pristine and vibrant.”

The documentary is expected to be released at the midpoint of what the United Nations General Assembly has declared the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.

“It is clear without doubt that we can only stabilize the climate by restoring the ocean,” National Geographic writes. “David Attenborough: Ocean (wt) will amplify the solutions that are already at hand and ready to be immediately implemented to help turn the tide.”