After seven decades filming every aspect of the natural world, David Attenborough delivers his greatest message of hope in a spectacular new film, "Ocean with David Attenborough" a Global Cinema Event from 8 May which also coincides with David Attenborough’s 99th birthday. The film will be available globally on National Geographic, Disney+ and Hulu later this year.
"Ocean with David Attenborough" is a Silverback Films and Open Planet Studios co-production, in association with All3Media International, National Geographic, and Minderoo Pictures. The film is directed by Toby Nowlan, Keith Scholey and Colin Butfield and produced by Nowlan. The film is co-produced by Arksen & 10% for the Ocean, Don Quixote Foundation, National Geographic Society and Pristine Seas, Revive Our Ocean, and The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.
The powerful documentary takes viewers on a breathtaking journey showing there is nowhere more vital for our survival, more full of life, wonder, or surprise, than the ocean. In the film the celebrated broadcaster and filmmaker reveals how his lifetime has coincided with the great age of ocean discovery. Through spectacular sequences featuring coral reefs, kelp forests and the open ocean, Attenborough shares why a healthy ocean keeps the entire planet stable and flourishing.
Stunning, immersive cinematography showcases the wonder of life under the seas and exposes the realities and challenges facing our ocean as never-before-seen, from destructive fishing techniques to mass coral reef bleaching. Yet the story is one of optimism, with Attenborough pointing to inspirational stories from around the world to deliver his greatest message: the ocean can recover to a glory beyond anything anyone alive has ever seen.
The title is being released as a Global Cinema Event, inviting audiences worldwide to come together to experience Attenborough’s untold story of the ocean on the big screen. Altitude will release the film in the UK & Ireland and have partnered with Piece of Magic Entertainment to release the film in the rest of the world, including in Australia, New Zealand, France, Canada, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland and South Africa. Additional countries are still to be announced.
The Global Cinema Event is timed ahead of World Ocean Day, June’s United Nations Ocean Conference 2025 in Nice, France, and midway through the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030). As world leaders decide the fate of our ocean, the title will show why ocean recovery is vital for stabilising our climate and securing a healthier future for us all, and how marine protection - if immediately implemented - can help to turn the tide.
David Attenborough spoke about his journey, aligned with a global process of ocean discovery: “My lifetime has coincided with the great age of ocean discovery. Over the last hundred years, scientists and explorers have revealed remarkable new species, epic migrations and dazzling, complex ecosystems beyond anything I could have imagined as a young man. In this film, we share some of those wonderful discoveries, uncover why our ocean is in such poor health, and, perhaps most importantly, show how it can be restored to health. This could be the moment of change. Nearly every country on Earth has just agreed, on paper, to achieve this bare minimum and protect a third of the ocean. Together, we now face the challenge of making it happen," expressed.