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Los Angeles Times
08-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
The most important place on Earth is not on land: National Geographic's Ocean with David Attenborough
3.8 billion years ago, when the Earth's temperature cooled down, rain fell for centuries. Oceans formed. Longer than human history, the creation of oceans—all this water that we can float on, fly over, and swim through—is our lifeline. Premiering in the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference at Nice, France, National Geographic's Documentary Ocean with David Attenborough holds timeless urgency in our valuable role of supporting life below water. Spearheading production, film, and invention in natural history, Sir David Attenborough tells a lifetime's worth of what the ocean means to our past, present, and future in his 99th birthday. After 3 years of production, the documentary dives into breathtaking locations on every continent: Papahānaumokuākea, Hawaii—where mobula rays leap into the air; Raja Ampat, Indonesia—where coral reefs nurture sea horses and carpet sharks; Geographe Bay, Australia—where blue whales tread across the bay; and many more. Sweetlips in Raja Ampat, Indonesia. (Credit: Olly Scholey) 'This is the start of a journey. What we've been excited about is that a lot of people have felt moved by the film,' producer Keith Scholey said. In the documentary, there's a brilliant tracking shot of dolphins swimming toward the camera. Light reflects the movement of the ocean surface above. Rhythms of hums and flaps. Water sings in companion. No matter if we live near scuba diving sites or live far away from the ocean, we are invited to dip inside water and feel every emotion below the surface. Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins in Red Sea, Egypt. (Credit: Olly Scholey) Facing the stretch of open sea in Dorset, United Kingdom, Sir David Attenborough's presence and narration leave behind an indescribable impact for us. Each word he speaks captures the sublime weight of the physical world: every bubble, seagrass bed, and underwater egg. His voice ripples, exponentiates, and plunges into the devastating impact of bottom trawling—an industrial practice of catching fish that leaves behind seabeds of corpses. Combined with the lack of regulation and its contributions to ecological damage and carbon production, bottom trawling receives an annual $1.3 billion amount of subsidies in Europe. As the first documentary to depict bottom trawling, the devastating and brutal presence of metal, mesh, and ropes sweep across the ocean floor. Confronting us with our perception of how prevalent such industrial practices are to the environment, the documentary presents truth in its most human form. A bait ball in the open ocean near Azores. (Credit: Silverback Films and Open Planet Studios/Doug Anderson) 'A lot of people think of the ocean as not being relevant to their lives. What we hope the film would say is, no, the ocean is deeply relevant to everyone,' Scholey said. With only 2.7% of the oceans protected from bottom trawling, the documentary portrays how our decisions and actions dictate the progress of saving marine life and ecosystems—and in conjunction, the environmental crisis. It's not just what happens below the waters, though. Sir David Attenborough's storytelling represents the perspectives of fishermen and climate advocates who have been impacted by bottom trawling. Towards the fishing trawler, two men row a small boat through the amber horizon, grey sea. Yet, the ocean is not an elegy. It is a powerhouse that fuels a healthy planet. The documentary points to many elements of resilience in marine and coastal life: from mangroves that protect infrastructure in extreme weather events to seagrass beds that cultivate biodiverse ecosystems, both seascapes help capture carbon in their soil and roots. By recognizing the ocean's universal foundation for human, animal, and plant populations, it turns into something closer and more connected to what we believe—something that breathes. Director of photography Doug Anderson films the coral reefs of Raja Ampat, Indonesia. (Credit: Olly Scholey) 'The quickest way to help solve the climate crisis is to protect the ocean,' Scholey said. '[The ocean] has such a huge role in drawing carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.' What sets apart this documentary is how it reframes the ocean crisis as an exciting turning point: today transforms into our opportunity to mobilize populations, hold world leaders accountable, and take an active stance in how governmental institutions protect the oceans. 'When you get a political population absolutely pushing for protection, policymakers will always listen to what their populations have to say,' Scholey said. 'Public pressure leads to change. In a way, that's always been my inspiration: to get public understanding, public desire to bring about change.' Alex Warham and Jacca Deeble launch a drone to film footage of an ocean trawler. (Credit: Silverback Films and Open Planet Studios/Alex Warham) In this moment, Ocean with David Attenborough calls to action a diverse audience: teenagers who hold the power to deliver a life-changing testimony, ministers who spearhead legislation, artists, scientists, scuba-divers, swimmers, sailers, fishers, whale-watchers, surfers, beach enthusiasts—anyone human. It reminds us that even in moments where it is easy to lose hope in global issues, we are not alone in this crisis. 'When I was your age, the great whales were being hunted into extinction. And a tiny number of nations were doing it, tiny numbers of companies, but they were going to take the great whales away from the whole of the world,' Scholey said. 'In 1986, a group of people who governed Wales got together and they banned it. And since then, the whale populations have come back enormously. We now understand they play a huge role in the ecology of the ocean, in helping us against climate change.' A blue whale mother and calf in the Gulf of California, Mexico. (Credit: Olly Scholey) As the documentary recalls historical moments of severe decline and collapse in the sea, it resonates with an optimistic message of delivering renewal and flourishment—in rescuing a planet teeming with ocean, ocean, and ocean. Scholey said, 'The dream at the end of the film is that, people like you may know an ocean that is richer and more diverse and does more for humanity than I have ever known in my lifetime.' You can watch Ocean with David Attenborough on National Geographic, Hulu, or Disney+. Related
Time Out
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Our Story with David Attenborough
The seemingly unstoppable David Attenborough has achieved more since hitting retirement age than most of us - let's be honest, all of us - will achieve in our entire lifetimes. This new immersive film is his second major project since turning 99 in May, following his more traditional documentary Ocean. Produced by Open Planet Studios, Our Story sees the Jerwood Gallery at the Natural History Museum transformed into a smaller version of the Lightroom in King's Cross (a sort of projection-based theatre). While 'immersive' is a word exhausted by overuse, 'immersive documentary' is emerging as a fairly distinct genre with clear hallmarks. As with the Lightroom's shows, Our Story is based around powerful digital projectors beaming the film onto the four walls of the space, wrapping around the surfaces so there are different images whichever direction you look. You are indeed immersed. It's still a narrative documentary film, in which Sir David tells us the story of the planet from fiery, lifeless rock to the advent of mankind to a possible future. Attenborough narrates, and appears at the start and end. There's a fair smattering of expectedly dazzling wildlife footage. But Our Story isn't really a nature doc in the style of Attenborough's most famous works, and rather than painstakingly captured original footage of animals, it uses pre-existing stuff plus heavy use of CGI to supplement its storytelling. Occasionally this feels like a minor letdown: though they're not trying to pretend they're anything else, some very obviously computer generated whales feel a little jarring in a documentary from the literal David Attenborough. For the most part, though, the graphics are used well to create dramatic vistas of space or primaeval Earth, or to offer more prosaic illustrations of Attenborough's words (collages of cave paintings or early depictions of agriculture). It will probably not shock you to learn that you can't tell the entire story of the planet Earth and mankind in any great detail in 50 minutes. But the Att-man knows what he's doing by this stage in his career, and works deftly with the time he has. A visually razzle-dazzly pre-life on Earth section; a gallop through the first four billion years of the planet before establishing that the appearance of man coincided with an unprecedented stable patch in the planet's climate; an explosion of nature footage to illustrate this; bringing himself into it as he describes the world he was born into and how it's changed over his long, long life. Climate change is accepted as a part of the human story rather than laboured over bombastically; which works, because the question of doing something about it is raised not as a hypothetical but an inevitability. And it ends on a hopeful note: the whales are an illustration of how humans can influence the planet for the better, populations of the aquatic giants having bounced back since humanity took concerted action to save them. A projected cityscape of a hypothetical low carbon future London is another dose of optimism. Whether or not Attenborough feels as optimistic about the future as he professes to be here, it's a more inspiring note to end on – particularly for young audiences – than declaring it's too late and we're all doomed. The final image of the show isn't a spectacular vista of space or nature, but a life-size Attenborough, sitting in his study: it looks like he's in the room with us. I wouldn't put it past him to still be presenting documentaries in 10 years' time, but there is something haunting about the sense of his physical presence – the show feels like a time capsule already, wisdom designed to live on after he's gone.
Scottish Sun
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
What it's REALLY like to work with Sir David Attenborough as star launches show ‘that's like stepping into his films'
The immersive show is even narrated by him SHOW TIME What it's REALLY like to work with Sir David Attenborough as star launches show 'that's like stepping into his films' Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE British legend that is Sir David Attenborough has launched a new attraction that feels like stepping straight into his documentaries. From watching a pack of gazelles try to outpace a hungry lion to a lost baby elephant finding their way back to the pack - I fell in love with nature and conservation thanks to my first Attenborough film. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 13 It's the first time the Natural History Museum has shown an immersive experience like this Credit: Jenna Stevens 13 The stunning location: London's Natural History museum Credit: Jenna Stevens 13 The stunning visuals were ten times better than watching TV at home Credit: Jenna Stevens And when I heard he was narrating an epic new 360 experience at London's Natural History Museum, I knew I had to go. With 24 projectors, 50 speakers and 5 screens later, Our Story with David Attenborough is now opening its doors to the public. It's an immersive experience created by Open Planet Studios (the company that's worked with Sir David to make films like Ocean) alongside the Natural History Museum, a big team of experts, and Sir David Attenborough himself. These powers have come together to create something that feels like stepping inside your TV screen into the world of the nature documentary. I walked into the room and picked my seat, with enough space for about 100 people at a time. With the show projected onto all the walls that surround you, it feels a bit like a 360-degree cinema experience. The show begins in space. The room is dark, as projected stars rush over your body, and you zoom past the planets of our solar system. You eventually reach earth - and what happens next is a 50-minute deep dive into the history of life on our planet. From the first ever microscopic signs of life, to jellyfish, to the moon landing, you watch how life on earth has adapted and evolved into all sorts of wondrous forms. Now I'm not the most scientific of people - I only knew the basics of evolutionary history from school. Britain's 'Tiger King' Dr Terry Moore stars in Snow Leopards of Leafy London doc 13 It was surreal to see Sir David speak directly to you Credit: Jenna Stevens 13 From scorching hot planets to freezing cold, you begin with a journey through the solar system Credit: Jenna Stevens 13 The first signs of life on planet earth: microbes Credit: Jenna Stevens But my favourite thing about the show is that it wasn't just pretty animations. Whilst you're being wowed by the visuals, you're also learning about history and the latest science. There's this particular scene that shows how fungi began to grow on earth. Glowing, cartoon-like mushrooms illuminate the screens, climbing over the walls and building pathways onto the floor. "Those mushrooms are based on time-lapse footage of real mushrooms" says Victoria Bromley, director-producer at Open Planet Studios. "And there's a point where we asked 'Do they look too Disney? Are people even going to believe that that's real?'" "But the original footage actually looks like that. Nature is just so unbelievable". That's what makes this immersive experience so different to others I've been to before. It's not a flashy lights show - you're watching modern scientific discoveries come to life before your eyes. After spanning thousands of years, the show soon reaches animal life. 13 I thought the mushrooms looked like a Willy Wonka creation - but they were based on real science Credit: Jenna Stevens 13 Observing the apes made me feel like I was in the heart of the jungle Credit: Jenna Stevens You're met with a gorilla who feels like they are making direct eye contact with you, and a mother and baby whale dance past the screens which surround you. Whilst the gorilla footage is taken from real shoots with Sir David, the whales were designed with whale behaviour experts, and even whale-noise specialists (yes - that's a thing). Listening to David Attenborough excitedly describe the animals around you was way better than watching the documentaries at home. "What's so lovely about Sir David is that he still has this childlike delight in nature" says Victoria. "I see it in my kids, that fascination with a bug or butterfly. Fossils he adores. It's his ability to bring that enthusiasm, and share it with people". Victoria has been able to work with Sir David on multiple projects and films, and still remembers the first time they worked together. "To get in touch with Sir David, you had to handwrite him a letter. He didn't have email. So I wrote him this letter with all my hopes and dreams". "He loves pangolins, so I wrote and said we're doing this documentary, would you consider doing it? "Then I didn't hear anything, and one day someone came over and said Victoria Bromley, we've got a letter for you'." 13 Sir David has hope for the future, even after all the devastation he has seen Credit: Jenna Stevens 13 The 'fixing our broken planet' section next door has useful tips on what we can do to help the environment Credit: Jenna Stevens Now, after years of collaborations, they have worked together once again to create this exhibit: Our Story. As the show turns to humans, Sir David runs through the highs and lows of human life on earth - everything from cave drawings to climate change. And in a heart-warming ending that genuinely got me choked up, Sir David shared how after a near century-long career, he is filled with hope for the future. "Let's use our dazzling minds for good" he says. "And work with the world instead of against it". What a hero. Walking out of the viewing room, I felt moved and inspired, but it was also a real shock to the system. It felt like when the credits start to roll at the cinema, and you remember that you have a real life to go back to after losing yourself for an afternoon. (Can't I just stay, watch the gorillas and listen to David forever? Please?) The exhibit is open to the public from Thursday 19th June. Tickets for adults are £20, with tickets for children aged 4-16 priced at £10. If you're a student, you can get in for £16. If you happen to be a member of the museum, you get 50 per cent off. There's multiple showings a day, starting every hour on the hour. There's also an option to book in for a 'relaxed' viewing, a smaller capacity designed for neurodivergent visitors. 13 The giant whale skeleton in the Natural History Museum is fittingly called 'Hope' Credit: Jenna Stevens 13 Of course I had to go visit the famous roaring T-Rex after the show Credit: Jenna Stevens
The Irish Sun
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
What it's REALLY like to work with Sir David Attenborough as star launches show ‘that's like stepping into his films'
THE British legend that is Sir David Attenborough has launched a new attraction that feels like stepping straight into his documentaries. From watching a pack of gazelles try to outpace a hungry 13 It's the first time the Natural History Museum has shown an immersive experience like this Credit: Jenna Stevens 13 The stunning location: London's Natural History museum Credit: Jenna Stevens 13 The stunning visuals were ten times better than watching TV at home Credit: Jenna Stevens And when I heard he was narrating an epic new 360 experience at London's Natural History Museum, I knew I had to go. With 24 projectors, 50 speakers and 5 screens later, Our Story with David Attenborough is now opening its doors to the public. It's an immersive experience created by Open Planet Studios (the company that's worked with Sir David to make films like Ocean ) alongside the Natural History Museum, a big team of experts, and Sir David Attenborough himself. These powers have come together to create something that feels like stepping inside your TV screen into the world of the nature documentary. Read more on UK attractions I walked into the room and picked my seat, with enough space for about 100 people at a time. With the show projected onto all the walls that surround you, it feels a bit like a 360-degree cinema experience. The show begins in space. The room is dark, as projected stars rush over your body, and you zoom past the planets of our solar system. You eventually reach earth - and what happens next is a 50-minute deep dive into the history of life on our planet. Most read in News Travel From the first ever microscopic signs of life, to jellyfish, to the moon landing, you watch how life on earth has adapted and evolved into all sorts of wondrous forms. Now I'm not the most scientific of people - I only knew the basics of evolutionary history from school. Britain's 'Tiger King' Dr Terry Moore stars in Snow Leopards of Leafy London doc 13 It was surreal to see Sir David speak directly to you Credit: Jenna Stevens 13 From scorching hot planets to freezing cold, you begin with a journey through the solar system Credit: Jenna Stevens 13 The first signs of life on planet earth: microbes Credit: Jenna Stevens But my favourite thing about the show is that it wasn't just pretty animations. Whilst you're being wowed by the visuals, you're also learning about history and the latest There's this particular scene that shows how Glowing, cartoon-like mushrooms illuminate the screens, climbing over the walls and building pathways onto the floor. "Those mushrooms are based on time-lapse footage of real mushrooms" says Victoria Bromley, director-producer at Open Planet Studios . "And there's a point where we asked 'Do they look too Disney ? Are people even going to believe that that's real?'" "But the original footage actually looks like that. Nature is just so unbelievable". That's what makes this immersive experience so different to others I've been to before. It's not a flashy lights show - you're watching modern scientific discoveries come to life before your eyes. After spanning thousands of years, the show soon reaches animal life. 13 I thought the mushrooms looked like a Willy Wonka creation - but they were based on real science Credit: Jenna Stevens 13 Observing the apes made me feel like I was in the heart of the jungle Credit: Jenna Stevens You're met with a Whilst the gorilla footage is taken from Listening to David Attenborough excitedly describe the animals around you was way better than watching the documentaries at home. "What's so lovely about Sir David is that he still has this childlike delight in nature" says Victoria. "I see it in my kids, that fascination with a bug or Victoria has been able to work with Sir David on multiple projects and films, and still remembers the first time they worked together. "To get in touch with Sir David, you had to handwrite him a letter. He didn't have email. So I wrote him this letter with all my hopes and dreams". "He loves pangolins, so I wrote and said we're doing this documentary, would you consider doing it? "Then I didn't hear anything, and one day someone came over and said Victoria Bromley, we've got a letter for you'." 13 Sir David has hope for the future, even after all the devastation he has seen Credit: Jenna Stevens 13 The 'fixing our broken planet' section next door has useful tips on what we can do to help the environment Credit: Jenna Stevens Now, after years of collaborations, they have worked together once again to create this exhibit: Our Story . As the show turns to humans, Sir David runs through the highs and lows of human life on earth - everything from And in a heart-warming ending that genuinely got me choked up, Sir David shared how after a near century-long career, he is filled with hope for the future. "Let's use our dazzling minds for good" he says. "And work with the world instead of against it". What a hero. Walking out of the viewing room, I felt moved and inspired, but it was also a real shock to the system. It felt like when the credits start to roll at the cinema, and you remember that you have a real life to go back to after losing yourself for an afternoon. (Can't I just stay, watch the gorillas and listen to David forever? Please?) The exhibit is open to the public from Thursday 19th June. Tickets for adults are £20, with tickets for children aged 4-16 priced at £10. If you're a student, you can get in for £16. If you happen to be a member of the museum, you get 50 per cent off. There's multiple showings a day, starting every hour on the hour. There's also an option to book in for a 'relaxed' viewing, a smaller capacity designed for neurodivergent visitors. 13 The giant whale skeleton in the Natural History Museum is fittingly called 'Hope' Credit: Jenna Stevens 13 Of course I had to go visit the famous roaring T-Rex after the show Credit: Jenna Stevens 13 The visual experience really makes a trip to the Natural History Museum complete Credit: Jenna Stevens
The Sun
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
What it's REALLY like to work with Sir David Attenborough as star launches show ‘that's like stepping into his films'
THE British legend that is Sir David Attenborough has launched a new attraction that feels like stepping straight into his documentaries. From watching a pack of gazelles try to outpace a hungry lion to a lost baby elephant finding their way back to the pack - I fell in love with nature and conservation thanks to my first Attenborough film. 13 13 13 And when I heard he was narrating an epic new 360 experience at London 's Natural History Museum, I knew I had to go. With 24 projectors, 50 speakers and 5 screens later, Our Story with David Attenborough is now opening its doors to the public. It's an immersive experience created by Open Planet Studios (the company that's worked with Sir David to make films like Ocean) alongside the Natural History Museum, a big team of experts, and Sir David Attenborough himself. These powers have come together to create something that feels like stepping inside your TV screen into the world of the nature documentary. I walked into the room and picked my seat, with enough space for about 100 people at a time. With the show projected onto all the walls that surround you, it feels a bit like a 360-degree cinema experience. The show begins in space. The room is dark, as projected stars rush over your body, and you zoom past the planets of our solar system. You eventually reach earth - and what happens next is a 50-minute deep dive into the history of life on our planet. From the first ever microscopic signs of life, to jellyfish, to the moon landing, you watch how life on earth has adapted and evolved into all sorts of wondrous forms. Now I'm not the most scientific of people - I only knew the basics of evolutionary history from school. Britain's 'Tiger King' Dr Terry Moore stars in Snow Leopards of Leafy London doc 13 13 13 But my favourite thing about the show is that it wasn't just pretty animations. Whilst you're being wowed by the visuals, you're also learning about history and the latest science. There's this particular scene that shows how fungi began to grow on earth. Glowing, cartoon-like mushrooms illuminate the screens, climbing over the walls and building pathways onto the floor. "Those mushrooms are based on time-lapse footage of real mushrooms" says Victoria Bromley, director-producer at Open Planet Studios. "And there's a point where we asked 'Do they look too Disney? Are people even going to believe that that's real?'" "But the original footage actually looks like that. Nature is just so unbelievable". That's what makes this immersive experience so different to others I've been to before. It's not a flashy lights show - you're watching modern scientific discoveries come to life before your eyes. After spanning thousands of years, the show soon reaches animal life. 13 13 You're met with a gorilla who feels like they are making direct eye contact with you, and a mother and baby whale dance past the screens which surround you. Whilst the gorilla footage is taken from real shoots with Sir David, the whales were designed with whale behaviour experts, and even whale-noise specialists (yes - that's a thing). Listening to David Attenborough excitedly describe the animals around you was way better than watching the documentaries at home. "What's so lovely about Sir David is that he still has this childlike delight in nature" says Victoria. "I see it in my kids, that fascination with a bug or butterfly. Fossils he adores. It's his ability to bring that enthusiasm, and share it with people". Victoria has been able to work with Sir David on multiple projects and films, and still remembers the first time they worked together. "To get in touch with Sir David, you had to handwrite him a letter. He didn't have email. So I wrote him this letter with all my hopes and dreams". "He loves pangolins, so I wrote and said we're doing this documentary, would you consider doing it? "Then I didn't hear anything, and one day someone came over and said Victoria Bromley, we've got a letter for you'." 13 13 Now, after years of collaborations, they have worked together once again to create this exhibit: Our Story. As the show turns to humans, Sir David runs through the highs and lows of human life on earth - everything from cave drawings to climate change. And in a heart-warming ending that genuinely got me choked up, Sir David shared how after a near century-long career, he is filled with hope for the future. "Let's use our dazzling minds for good" he says. "And work with the world instead of against it". What a hero. Walking out of the viewing room, I felt moved and inspired, but it was also a real shock to the system. It felt like when the credits start to roll at the cinema, and you remember that you have a real life to go back to after losing yourself for an afternoon. (Can't I just stay, watch the gorillas and listen to David forever? Please?) The exhibit is open to the public from Thursday 19th June. Tickets for adults are £20, with tickets for children aged 4-16 priced at £10. If you're a student, you can get in for £16. If you happen to be a member of the museum, you get 50 per cent off. There's multiple showings a day, starting every hour on the hour. There's also an option to book in for a 'relaxed' viewing, a smaller capacity designed for neurodivergent visitors. 13 13 13
