Sigourney Weaver to Narrate Nat Geo Miniseries About Dian Fossey

WASHINGTON, D.C.: National Geographic is teaming up with James Marsh (Man on Wire, Theory of Everything) and Tigress Productions for the three-part special Dian Fossey: Secrets in the Mist, honoring the life and legacy of the famed gorilla researcher.

Sigourney Weaver, nominated for an Academy Award and winner of the Golden Globe for her portrayal of Fossey in the 1988 film Gorillas in the Mist, will narrate. Making use of exclusive access to more than 40 hours of rare and previously unseen film footage of Fossey and her research with gorillas, the series will seek to reveal new insights into her life and work.

Dian Fossey: Secrets in the Mist will air globally on National Geographic in 171 countries and 45 languages in fall 2017.

“Dian Fossey was a seminal figure of the 20th century, whose contribution to science had a profound impact on our understanding of primates,” said National Geographic’s president of original programming and production, Tim Pastore. “By revealing how her groundbreaking findings came about and why they had such an impact on the world, we are paying tribute to her life’s work. This series will be her definitive life story and a testament to her trailblazing legacy.”

“I am delighted to be working with Nat Geo on a documentary about Dian Fossey’s trailblazing life and work with the mountain gorillas,” said Weaver. “This project promises to enrich our appreciation of Dian and these majestic primates and to raise awareness about the crucial conservation work of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund.”

“Nat Geo championed Dian’s life and work when she was alive and built up an amazing visual archive of her vital work with the mountain gorillas of Rwanda,” said Marsh. “They are the ideal partners for a series that will both celebrate her achievements and investigate the events that led to her tragic demise. Without Dian’s efforts, there would be little or no population of gorillas left in Rwanda and by examining her life, we are also going to show the tremendous impact of her research into these majestic, unique animals.”

“This ambitious, filmic series is an example of the kind of project we’re passionate about developing and making as part of Endemol Shine’s factual output,” said Kim Shillinglaw, the director of factual at Endemol Shine UK. “It’s a privilege to be working with James Marsh, and Tigress has assembled a world-class team to tell an extraordinary and important story, with really gripping new material.”