Nat Geo signs first-look unscripted deal with Will Smith’s Westbrook Studios

National Geographic has signed a five-year first-look deal on unscripted content with Will Smith’s Westbrook Studios. “Having spent the past two years working with Will and the team at Westbrook Studios 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,” National Geographic Content President Courteney Monroe said in a release.

The agreement was announced by Monroe yesterday during the company’s TCA summer session, covering the development of unscripted original projects in the adventure, exploration, travel and science genres for all of the company’s TV platforms and Nat Geo-produced Disney+ Originals. 

The first-look deal was led by Terence Carter, Westbrook’s co-president and head of television, and Alan Eyres, National Geographic’s senior vice president of development and production. The partnership between Nat Geo and Westbrook Studios was brokered by Creative Artists Agency (CAA). “Will and I are thrilled to partner with National Geographic to bring the astonishing imagery of nature and science to screens around the world,” Westbrook’s Carter said. “We strive to empower artists to tell stories that connect humanity, and Courteney and the entire Nat Geo team share that vision.”

The move follows the debut of new Smith-fronted non-fiction series Welcome to Earth, produced by Westbrook Studios along with Darren Aronofsky’s Protozoa Pictures and Jane Root‘s Nutopia, which is slated to premiere on Disney+ later this year. “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,” Monroe said.