Nat Geo Unveils Deal with Will Smith, New Slate Highlights

National Geographic has inked a first-look deal with Will Smith’s Westbrook Studios and revealed a number of greenlights for new and returning series.

The five-year, first-look deal with Westbrook Studios will include unscripted projects across the adventure, exploration, travel and science genres. It will encompass the development of the projects for all of National Geographic’s television platforms and National Geographic-produced Disney+ originals. 

Welcome to Earth, from Darren Aronofsky’s Protozoa Pictures and Jane Root’s Nutopia alongside Westbrook Studios, is slated to premiere on Disney+ later this year. In Welcome to Earth, Smith embarks on a journey to unlock the secrets of natural phenomena around the world. Each episode will see Smith guided by National Geographic Explorers to different corners of the world to find unusual and thrilling spectacles. 

National Geographic Content President Courteney Monroe said: “Having spent the past two years working with Will and the team at Westbrook Studios (along with Darren Aronofsky and Nutopia) on Welcome to Earth, we are thrilled to be expanding our relationship with them and entering into a long-term partnership to produce blockbuster nonfiction content. Will and Westbrook share our passion for telling bold, best-in-class stories that ignite curiosity and inspire people to explore and care about our world, and we can’t wait to see where our next adventures together take us.”

Westbrook Studios Co-President and Head of Television Terence Carter added: “Will and I are thrilled to partner with National Geographic to bring the astonishing imagery of nature and science to screens around the world. We strive to empower artists to tell stories that connect humanity, and Courteney and the entire Nat Geo team share that vision. Through these stories, we invite audiences to see the wonder and beauty of the world around us and to experience the endless adventure and exploration that’s possible on our humbling planet.”

During National Geographic’s TCA session, the company also announced that it has greenlit the Life Below Zero spin-off series Life Below Zero: First Alaskans; The 7 Toughest Days on Earth with Dwayne Fields, the first Black British citizen to conquer the magnetic North Pole; and Appetite for Adventure with award-winning BBQ Pitmaster and U.S. Navy veteran Big Moe Cason. All three of these series will also have a second window on Disney+.

Monroe said: “These new series are exciting additions to our stable of popular, returnable, scalable series led by charismatic personalities. The talent at the center of each of these series have unique voices and perspectives that will undoubtedly inspire the explorer in all of us.”

Nat Geo has also confirmed a third season of Trafficked with Mariana Van Zeller ahead of the winter premiere of the docuseries’ second season bow in December on National Geographic. Episodes will also be streaming the next day on Hulu. Filming for the third season will begin this fall. Trafficked with Mariana Van Zeller is produced for National Geographic by Muck Media.

Van Zeller said: “Filming a whole season of Trafficked during a global pandemic was extremely challenging, but there’s been an explosion of black markets over the past year, and I think we all quickly realized that this series has become more relevant than ever. With this second season, we’ve managed to dive even deeper and gain even more access into underworld networks around the world.”

Nat Geo WILD’s annual Vetsgiving will return November 22 through November 28 with an expanded lineup of programming that will include Heartland Docs, DVM; Critter Fixers: Country Vets; Hatcher Family Dairy; The Incredible Dr. Pol; Dr. Oakley, Yukon Vet; and Vets on the Beach. There will also be a sneak peek of the new series Pop Goes the Vet with Dr. Joya, which will see dermatologist Dr. Joya Griffin as she investigates the largest organ in an animal’s body—the skin.

“Veterinarians deserve recognition for the important work they do to care for our pets, livestock and wildlife,” said Janet Han Vissering, senior VP of development and production at National Geographic Partners. “Nat Geo WILD’s Vetsgiving is our way of showing them how much they are appreciated, especially the dedicated professionals featured in our veterinarian-focused programs.”

National Geographic unveiled the Field Ready Program to promote diversity and inclusion in global television production in 2020. Yesterday, the company presented the second class of this program from around the globe. Last year, the Field Ready Program made the pivot to a digital mentorship and will continue this six-month digital learning and mentorship program between ten mentees (National Geographic Explorers) and ten mentors (Nat Geo production partners). The mentees will network to share ideas and creative processes. Further, Field Ready participants will attend monthly “master classes” and Q&A sessions with industry leaders. National Geographic has opened the live Master Classes and Q&A sessions to more than 35 early-career filmmakers from around the world to audit these courses.

Han Vissering said: “As a global leader in natural history programming, we are profoundly aware that we need to continue to foster and make decisions to increase diversity and inclusion in natural history filmmaking teams. To stay on the cutting edge in this highly competitive field, cultivating fresh voices and diverse talent is key. We want to make sure that we are leading in this game-changing endeavor, and are now full steam ahead and embracing the extended program, which is already leading to meaningful mentor and mentee partnerships.”

Kaitlin Yarnall, chief storytelling officer at National Geographic Society, added: “The National Geographic Society is thrilled to welcome our second class and to further immerse ten early-career National Geographic Explorers into the industry of film. Our commitment to elevating historically underserved and underrepresented groups makes our work stronger, and achieves a more equitable and inclusive world.”