Nat Geo Lands Streaming Rights for Werner Herzog Doc

National Geographic Documentary Films has secured the streaming rights to Werner Herzog’s new film Ghost Elephants.

Directed, narrated and written by Herzog and featuring National Geographic Explorer Steve Boyes, the doc premiered at the Venice Film Festival. At the festival, Herzog was presented with the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement. The documentary made its U.S. premiere at the Telluride Film Festival. It will premiere on Disney+ and Hulu in 2026.

In the film, Boyes travels to Angola in search of the elusive ghost elephants of Lisima.

“After meeting Steve Boyes, an unexpected project that felt like the hunt for Moby Dick, the white whale, came at me with great urgency,” said Herzog, who is also a National Geographic Explorer. “Like many of my films, this is an exploration of dreams, of imagination—weighed against reality. The film took me to what the local tribesmen call ‘The Land at the End of the Earth.’”

“We are thrilled to bring Werner Herzog’s Ghost Elephants to streaming audiences worldwide,” said Carolyn Bernstein, executive VP of documentary films at National Geographic. “This film’s captivating visual poetry gives viewers a front-row seat to Boyes’ quest to uncover the truth behind the legend of these magnificent and elusive creatures.”

“As we pondered the fate of the ghost elephants, one thing became clear: They may hold the key to protecting the waters that give life to the Okavango,” said Boyes. “For thousands of years, elephants have been the architects of landscapes and the nurturers of ecosystems that allow other species to thrive. And after bearing witness to war, their resilience carries from one generation to the next. To find them is to believe in a future where this Lisima landscape fully thrives for people and nature.”

Streaming premiere dates for Disney+ and Hulu in 2026 are yet to be announced. The film will also receive a theatrical release, with dates to be announced by Sobey Road Entertainment in the coming months.

Ghost Elephants is produced by Ariel León Isacovitch. Sobey Road Entertainment is the producing partner with Brian Nugent, Andrew Trapani, Emerson Farrell, David Sze, David B. Kirk, Terrence Battle and Casey Graf as executive producers. For National Geographic Documentary Films, Bernstein and Tim Horsburgh, VP of documentary films, are executive producers.