Nat Geo Orders Female-Centered Animal Series Queens

National Geographic has a new natural-history docuseries coming to its slate, Queens, focused solely on matriarchal societies in the animal kingdom.

Queens follows sisterhoods within the animal kingdom where females rule. An all-female team of visionaries is behind the series, which reveals unique feminine behaviors in six distinct animal communities: hyenas, elephants, ring-tailed lemurs, insects, primates and orcas.

The six-part series began production this spring and will air globally in 172 countries and 43 languages. Crews are estimated to spend at least 300 days filming each of the six episodes in order to paint intimate portraits of each queen and the sisterhood she leads.

The production team is led by Vanessa Berlowitz, CEO of Wildstar Films and series executive producer, and also counts cinematographers such as Sophie Darlington (Our Planet, Dynasties, Disneynature’s Penguins) and Justine Evans (Planet Earth, Frozen Planet, Life).

“Queens is a wild departure from anything you’ve ever experienced with natural history storytelling,” said Berlowitz. “We’re accustomed to a narrative where the male animal voice often outshines that of the misperceived ‘gentler’ sex. In Queens, females drive the story: the most accomplished women in the industry get behind the camera to turn things on their heads, revealing surprising insights into how females rise to power, often relying on cooperation and wisdom over brute strength to get ahead.”

“This series is full of possibilities and will offer a contemporary perspective on nature with the ambition to build industry legacy through diversity, collaboration and inclusiveness,” added Darlington. “It’s so exciting to create a project with such a talented team; we share a strong commitment to the environment and believe that engaging women is key to saving the planet.”