Love Nature Greenlights Gladiators

Love Nature has commissioned the original wildlife series Gladiators from Talesmith.

The series depicts life-defining battles among the animal kingdom’s greatest rivalries across the Pacific Northwest, African savanna, jungle coasts and Australia. It will debut on Love Nature globally in 2024, as well as on Sky Nature in the U.K., Germany and Italy.

The series utilizes 4K footage, stbalizied drones and VFX-animated freeze-frames that slow down time to capture moments up close. It will examine the aftermath of each battle, breaking down the use of weapons versus intelligence and the role of sidekicks versus armies.

Gladiators is executive produced by Martin Williams and Ruth Roberts at Talesmith, James Manfull at Love Nature and Tom Barry at Sky Nature. Alex Hemingway is showrunner. Blue Ant International is overseeing presales and licensing outside of the commissioning territories.

“The stunning footage and fascinating effects in Gladiators bring intense battles to life with storytelling that will have audiences rooting for the underdog, while feeling the awe of the champion,” said Carlyn Staudt, general manager of Love Nature. “We’re excited to be working with world-class partners, including the talented team at Talesmith and our content and co-production partner Sky.”

Roberts, executive producer for Talesmith, added, “We’re thrilled to be partnering with our great colleagues at Love Nature and Sky Nature on this ambitious series. Gladiators will be innovative, intimate natural-history storytelling at its best, with our team of incredible filmmakers capturing iconic moments in new detail and revealing previously hidden aspects of animal behavior.”