Latest news with #MikeGunton
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tom Hanks Has Heartfelt Response to Being Called 'America's Dad'
Tom Hanks gave a heartfelt response to Variety after being called 'America's Dad' by his The Americas producer Mike Gunton. Hanks narrates the NBC nature series, which explores the natural wonders of the Americas through never-before-seen footage of animals in their habitat. While Hanks himself admitted that his off-the-cuff narration style is different from the typical nature-doc energy, it was exactly what Gunton was looking for when putting his series together. After calling Hanks 'America's dad,' the Phoenician Scheme star launched into a thoughtful response. 'I think that might say more about the induced trauma of family of origin issues for most of America. But I will say, I would love to be called something specific: The best park ranger they've ever heard,' Hanks joked. The actor recalled attending an event as a child in which he watched a park ranger hold court for nearly an hour. 'It was riveting to my 8-year-old mind. Believe it or not, part of me thought, 'How do I get that job?'' Hanks continued: 'Look, I have enthusiasms that are particular to me. I have a willingness to dominate every dinner table that I sit at. It's one of [my] character defects that I'm working on. But I'm going to treat that seriously when someone comes in and says, 'We look upon you as a dad.' Because the best dads are going to offer up wisdom, patience and just the right amount of discipline when the time comes.' He added that he's more than happy to accept the title in perpetuity 'provided I don't have to campaign for it.' 'I'm just going to have it handed to me!' he cracked.'People need to trust the the person who's telling these stories has got integrity and is telling them the truth,' Gunton explained of his reason for choosing Hanks to lead the series. 'Because nature is complicated, and people want to know what really is going on here, what's the real science, the real environment, all those things.' Hanks added: 'There's no lies in this thing. There is no crypting together of stuff in order to present some sort of sensibility or an idea, or promote an idea…No CGI, no lies.' Tom Hanks Has Heartfelt Response to Being Called 'America's Dad' first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 19, 2025
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘The Americas' producers on NBC's ambitious docuseries, Earth's most varied landscapes, and ‘absolute joy' working with Tom Hanks
Five years. 180 expeditions. One supercontinent. NBC's The Americas takes viewers on an epic journey from pole to pole, unveiling Earth's most dazzling landscapes, jaw-dropping wildlife, and never-before-seen phenomena — with a little help from Tom Hanks and Hans Zimmer. Buckle up, this is not your ordinary nature doc! The unprecedented scale and ambition delivers remarkable world firsts: new species, new intimate courtship, dramatic deep sea hunting and some of nature's strangest stories. Each hourlong episode features a different iconic location across the Americas: 'The Atlantic Coast,' 'Mexico,' 'The Wild West,' 'The Amazon,' 'The Frozen North,' 'The Gulf Coast,' 'The Andes,' 'The Caribbean,' 'The West Coast' and 'Patagonia.' More from GoldDerby Everything to know about 'Toy Story 5': the Pixar franchise returns June 2026 with new themes and familiar faces 'It almost killed me': Horror maestro Mike Flanagan looks back at career-making hits from 'Gerald's Game' to 'Hill House' to 'Life of Chuck' First look at JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette in 'American Love Story,' 'A Minecraft Movie' sets streaming premiere date, and more of today's top stories Executive producer Mike Gunton and editor Holly Spearing recently spoke to Gold Derby about their most ambitious project yet and collaborating with a legendary pair of two-time Oscar winners. Gold Derby: The Americas was five years in the making with over 180 expeditions, land and sea. So how do you even begin to conceptualize this sort of ambitious series? Mike Gunton: The word ambitious, I think, is the key word, because that was the goal, to do something that had the same level of ambition as something like a Planet Earth 2, which is a series I had just been working on. Is there anything on the planet that could match that in scale and ambition and that hadn't been done before? I scratched my head quite a lot, thought about Africa, maybe a few other places, and then thought, "No, there isn't anywhere." But then I thought, "Well, hold on a minute. North America's been looked at, maybe, South America. But what about thinking about them together?" As far as animals are concerned, and as far as nature is concerned, it is all joined together. It's a kind of a supercontinent. So I thought, "Well, maybe somebody must've done that," and then looked around and they hadn't. It doesn't have lions and it doesn't have elephants, but that's about it. In fact, it does have some kind of lion — it has mountain lions. It has all the biggest, the longest, the most impressive natural phenomena you can imagine. So it just had to be done. You've both worked on so many nature documentaries and series in your careers, what separates this from what you've done previously? Holly Spearing: Well, I think the scale is a big part of it. Ten episodes and covering an entire supercontinent that actually has its head up in one pole and its feet down in another pole — that is absolutely massive. It does really set it apart from anything I think either of us have done before. Gunton: Also, doing a project for this audience was a really interesting challenge because. ... We work for the BBC and so we make programs for British audiences. They do, of course, get shown around the world and they do get shown in America. But to make a series that directly speaks to an American audience on a national level is something I've never done. Nobody's ever done it to be absolutely honest with you. The opportunity of doing that was a very big part of why we wanted to do it. Did each location have an independent film crew? Were they taking place simultaneously, or how do you work that out logistically for these 10 episodes? Spearing: It was massively ambitious to cover the area, all the different seasons, all the different animal behaviors. And of course, yes, some of them were happening all at once. So the series is broken down into its 10 different episodes, and those teams work on their shoots, so it was a huge logistical exercise. It was 180 separate shoots, and these are expeditions. They're not just driving up to a location and getting out of a vehicle. Some of them are scaling up a mountain. They're going to one of the most remote islands off the end of South America where you actually have to take a medic with you because it would take so long to get to facilities that you'd need if anything happened. These were really ambitious shoots. And of course, we were covering different habitats from underwater to scaling up trees, deserts, all of those things that we had to face and encounter. But our crews, I have to say, are absolute masters at this. They're experienced and they did an absolutely outstanding job. Gunton: Holly's like a military commander. This is like a military operation. You have got so many resources to deploy because it's not just personnel, it's the most extraordinary variety of equipment, as you hinted at: ships, and we're not talking about little boats, we're talking about massive, really huge boats, helicopters, airplanes, submersibles, and cave divers. There's a sequence there — which I think is probably the bravest thing I've ever seen — where two guys go through those underground caves in Florida. There's no escape. If anything goes wrong, you've got nowhere to go. That's an insanely dangerous thing to do. And all of this has to not just be coordinated in terms of logistics but also has to be made safe. How has technology changed how you approach these topics throughout the years? Gunton: Over the years, we've started to use drone technology a bit more. But what was very fortunate with this series is that the stars aligned and and drone technology has improved – they're smaller. The camera quality was better. The pilots were not necessarily better, but more exposed to shooting in nature. The cameras have to move slowly, they have to get close to the animals, but very, very carefully. And also, the recruitment of real natural history experts at the controls of those drones was just a perfect marriage. We were able to get cameras to places that four or five years ago, we wouldn't have even attempted. Spearing: I think ultimately, what we're trying to do with this new technology is immerse ourselves in the world of the animals so we can see these locations through their eyes, and as Mike says, get really close to them. We think we had about 35 different camera rigs throughout the whole series just to cover all the different environments from underwater to filming things the size of a grain of rice. We talked about drones, but there are crew members within feet of wolves, bears, pumas. Is there anything that feels like it's too dangerous? Spearing: Well, really interesting you mentioned the puma story because our camera operator, John Shire, had actually built a relationship with this particular individual puma over many years. In fact, he filmed her as a cub and many people believe that she still recognizes him by scent. Many of our camera operators are absolute experts on animal behavior as well, and they have to be. They're constantly reading cues from the animals and working with that because they're looking for the behavior that we want to capture. You mentioned Tom Hanks, who narrates the series. How did he become involved? Gunton: When I first pitched this to NBC I didn't mention a narrator. But I did actually write in my notebook at the time, "Ooh, Tom Hanks would be the right person to do this." I didn't think about that for another two or three years. When we finally mentioned him they responded "Oh, yeah, of course. There's only a list of one. It has to be Tom Hanks." Luckily, he had been aware of the series. So I went out to LA, sat down in this little viewing theater with a rough cut of one of the episodes and showed it to him. It was quite nerve-wracking. You're sitting next to a two-time Oscar winner. About a minute into it, he went, "Oh, God," and then turned around to the guy who was running things and said, "Guys, have you seen this? This is insane!" And from then I just thought, "We're sold. He's got this. He absolutely knows what we're doing." He was an absolute joy. He is what you hope your heroes will be — the loveliest man you could imagine; smart, funny, and added so much value to it. Spearing: He was so collaborative to work with as well and just wanted to do the very best he could. He is a filmmaker after all, and he was also incredibly interested in how we got the shots. He loved all the stories from behind the scenes and the cameras. And then finally, one of the more maybe unsung heroes of a docuseries like this is the music. You have the great Hans Zimmer composing music, how did that come about? Spearing: He wrote an extraordinary theme for The Americas, which I think then set the style for all the other music that followed behind it for the individual sequences. Mike is a long-time collaborator with Hans. Gunton: When we've done panels or or live screenings, people put up their hands and say, "We love the music." I think he and his team just got it dead right; not too much. It was incredibly evocative and deeply enriched the drama while also capturing the essence of the locations. One of the key aspects of this series was not just telling stories about life and animals but placing them within their environments — highlighting the personality and unique signature of where they lived. That was the foundation. It was like a "super safari." If we could take you on the most extraordinary journey across the Americas, where would we stop, what would we show you, and what makes those places special? A crucial role of the music was to evoke that sense of wonder, and I think he accomplished that superbly. This interview has been edited for clarity and length. The Americas is streaming on Peacock. SIGN UP for Gold Derby's free newsletter with latest predictions Best of GoldDerby Asif Ali and Saagar Shaikh admit they 'never had the audacity to realize' a show like 'Deli Boys' was possible From 'Housewives' overload to the 'shadiest queens' alliance: The dish on 'The Traitors' Season 4 lineup Leslie Bibb breaks down her aha moments filming 'The White Lotus': 'Kate suddenly got jealous' Click here to read the full article.
BreakingNews.ie
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BreakingNews.ie
David Attenborough's ‘global legacy' celebrated as broadcaster turns 99
Sir David Attenborough has got to have 'one of the greatest legacies of any human being ever', a BBC executive has said. The naturalist, who has been on our TV screens for more than seven decades presenting programmes such as Planet Earth and Blue Planet, is celebrating his 99th birthday. Advertisement Mike Gunton, creative director at BBC Studios Natural History Unit, told the PA news agency: 'Each generation has its own kind of personal legacy from him, and I think that's remarkable. King Charles meets David Attenborough as he attends the premiere of 'Ocean with David Attenborough', at the Southbank Centre, Royal Festival Hall in London on May 6th (Alistair Grant/PA) 'But also, there's a broader, I suppose, global legacy, which I think is that he has shown us wonders, he's helped us understand wonders, and he's encouraged us to protect these wonders. 'If you could do that in a lifetime, and speak to hundreds upon hundreds of millions of people and inspire them to do all that, that's got to be one of the greatest legacies of any human being ever. 'And I think he's aware of that, and the responsibility of that, and he often talks about the privilege of being able to do that, and it's a privilege for those of us who have worked with him to have.' Advertisement Mr Gunton began working with the broadcaster aged 29, said it has been 'a life defining experience' for him. He told PA: 'Every programme I have made with him has been a remarkable experience which the audience have always found completely memorable and worthwhile and that's a joy for anybody, to make things that are remembered, you know, they're historic, they're part of human history.' Sir David Attenborough in the press room with the Impact award at the National Television Awards 2018 (Ian West/PA) Attenborough was born David Frederick Attenborough on May 8th, 1926, in London, son of an academic and principal of Leicester University College. Before joining the BBC in 1952 he studied geology at the University of Cambridge and served two years in the Royal Navy. Advertisement He made his reputation with the groundbreaking Zoo Quest series, which he hosted for 10 years on the BBC. In 1965 he became controller of BBC2, overseeing the advent of colour TV, and he later became BBC director of programming. Ultimately, however, life as a broadcast executive did not appeal and he returned with relief to his early passions, programme-making and filming the wildlife which fascinated him so much. Prince Charles with his sister Princess Anne meet David Attenborough and Cocky, the cockatoo brought back from his last Zoo Quest expedition, at the BBC Television Studios (PA) His famous whispering voice captured the imaginations of the nation in 1979 when he was seen mingling and bonding with a family of gorillas in Life On Earth and its sequel The Living Planet in 1984. Advertisement The following year, he was knighted by the late Queen Elizabeth II before being awarded a Knight Grand Cross honour years later in 2022. The TV presenter has two children, Susan and Robert, with his late wife Jane whom he married in 1950. In recent years Attenborough, who resides in Richmond, has presented shows including Dynasties, Prehistoric Planet and Planet Earth III. In celebration of his 99th birthday a new documentary about the health of the ocean will air in cinemas from Thursday. Advertisement It comes after King Charles and Attenborough attended the premiere of Ocean With David Attenborough on Tuesday. Also to mark his birthday, and the publication of his new book, Ocean: Earth's Last Wilderness, John Murray Press are giving at least 1,000 copies to schools and libraries across the UK.
The Independent
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Sir David Attenborough's ‘global legacy' celebrated as broadcaster turns 99
Sir David Attenborough has got to have 'one of the greatest legacies of any human being ever', a BBC executive has said. The naturalist, who has been on our TV screens for more than seven decades presenting programmes such as Planet Earth and Blue Planet, is celebrating his 99th birthday. Mike Gunton, creative director at BBC Studios Natural History Unit, told the PA news agency: 'Each generation has its own kind of personal legacy from him, and I think that's remarkable. 'But also, there's a broader, I suppose, global legacy, which I think is that he has shown us wonders, he's helped us understand wonders, and he's encouraged us to protect these wonders. 'If you could do that in a lifetime, and speak to hundreds upon hundreds of millions of people and inspire them to do all that, that's got to be one of the greatest legacies of any human being ever. 'And I think he's aware of that, and the responsibility of that, and he often talks about the privilege of being able to do that, and it's a privilege for those of us who have worked with him to have.' Mr Gunton began working with the broadcaster aged 29, said it has been 'a life defining experience' for him. He told PA: 'Every programme I have made with him has been a remarkable experience which the audience have always found completely memorable and worthwhile and that's a joy for anybody, to make things that are remembered, you know, they're historic, they're part of human history.' Sir David was born David Frederick Attenborough on May 8 1926, in London, son of an academic and principal of Leicester University College. Before joining the BBC in 1952 he studied geology at the University of Cambridge and served two years in the Royal Navy. He made his reputation with the groundbreaking Zoo Quest series, which he hosted for 10 years on the BBC. In 1965 he became controller of BBC2, overseeing the advent of colour TV, and he later became BBC director of programming. Ultimately, however, life as a broadcast executive did not appeal and he returned with relief to his early passions, programme-making and filming the wildlife which fascinated him so much. His famous whispering voice captured the imaginations of the nation in 1979 when he was seen mingling and bonding with a family of gorillas in Life On Earth and its sequel The Living Planet in 1984. The following year, he was knighted by the late Queen Elizabeth II before being awarded a Knight Grand Cross honour years later in 2022. The TV presenter has two children, Susan and Robert, with his late wife Jane whom he married in 1950. In recent years Sir David, who resides in Richmond, has presented shows including Dynasties, Prehistoric Planet and Planet Earth III. In celebration of his 99th birthday a new documentary about the health of the ocean will air in cinemas from Thursday. It comes after the King and Sir David attended the premiere of Ocean With David Attenborough on Tuesday. Also to mark his birthday, and the publication of his new book, Ocean: Earth's Last Wilderness, John Murray Press are giving at least 1,000 copies to schools and libraries across the UK.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sir David Attenborough's ‘global legacy' celebrated as broadcaster turns 99
Sir David Attenborough has got to have 'one of the greatest legacies of any human being ever', a BBC executive has said. The naturalist, who has been on our TV screens for more than seven decades presenting programmes such as Planet Earth and Blue Planet, is celebrating his 99th birthday. Mike Gunton, creative director at BBC Studios Natural History Unit, told the PA news agency: 'Each generation has its own kind of personal legacy from him, and I think that's remarkable. King Charles III meets David Attenborough as he attends the premiere of 'Ocean with David Attenborough', at the Southbank Centre, Royal Festival Hall in London on May 6 (Alistair Grant/PA) 'But also, there's a broader, I suppose, global legacy, which I think is that he has shown us wonders, he's helped us understand wonders, and he's encouraged us to protect these wonders. 'If you could do that in a lifetime, and speak to hundreds upon hundreds of millions of people and inspire them to do all that, that's got to be one of the greatest legacies of any human being ever. 'And I think he's aware of that, and the responsibility of that, and he often talks about the privilege of being able to do that, and it's a privilege for those of us who have worked with him to have.' Mr Gunton began working with the broadcaster aged 29, said it has been 'a life defining experience' for him. He told PA: 'Every programme I have made with him has been a remarkable experience which the audience have always found completely memorable and worthwhile and that's a joy for anybody, to make things that are remembered, you know, they're historic, they're part of human history.' Sir David Attenborough in the press room with the Impact award at the National Television Awards 2018 (Ian West/PA) Sir David was born David Frederick Attenborough on May 8 1926, in London, son of an academic and principal of Leicester University College. Before joining the BBC in 1952 he studied geology at the University of Cambridge and served two years in the Royal Navy. He made his reputation with the groundbreaking Zoo Quest series, which he hosted for 10 years on the BBC. In 1965 he became controller of BBC2, overseeing the advent of colour TV, and he later became BBC director of programming. Ultimately, however, life as a broadcast executive did not appeal and he returned with relief to his early passions, programme-making and filming the wildlife which fascinated him so much. Prince Charles with his sister Princess Anne meet David Attenborough and Cocky, the cockatoo brought back from his last Zoo Quest expedition, at the BBC Television Studios (PA) His famous whispering voice captured the imaginations of the nation in 1979 when he was seen mingling and bonding with a family of gorillas in Life On Earth and its sequel The Living Planet in 1984. The following year, he was knighted by the late Queen Elizabeth II before being awarded a Knight Grand Cross honour years later in 2022. The TV presenter has two children, Susan and Robert, with his late wife Jane whom he married in 1950. In recent years Sir David, who resides in Richmond, has presented shows including Dynasties, Prehistoric Planet and Planet Earth III. In celebration of his 99th birthday a new documentary about the health of the ocean will air in cinemas from Thursday. It comes after the King and Sir David attended the premiere of Ocean With David Attenborough on Tuesday. Also to mark his birthday, and the publication of his new book, Ocean: Earth's Last Wilderness, John Murray Press are giving at least 1,000 copies to schools and libraries across the UK.
