NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ANNOUNCES "HOSTILE PLANET" - AN UNFLINCHING LOOK AT THE VOLATILITY OF MOTHER NATURE AND THE RESILIENT ANIMALS THAT SURVIVE EARTH'S MOST EXTREME HABITATS

Six-Part Nature Docuseries Hails from Academy-Award Winner Guillermo Navarro, Emmy- and BAFTA-Winning Natural History Filmmakers of Planet Earth 2 And Plimsoll Productions

(WASHINGTON, D.C. / NEW YORK - APRIL 18, 2018) - Earth may be the only place we know that's teeming with diverse life, but that doesn't make it a benign planet. Against all odds, species have found ways to survive in the world's most inhospitable landscapes - from a scorched desert to the frozen tundra. Every day is a struggle to survive, but animals continue to surprise us by adapting to the toughest challenges.

On the heels of the launch of the critically acclaimed natural-history genre-busting series ONE STRANGE ROCK, National Geographic announced today its new six-part series HOSTILE PLANET, executive produced by Academy Award-winning cinematographer and director Guillermo Navarro (Pan's Labyrinth), Emmy-nominated producer Martha Holmes (The Blue Planet) and Emmy Award-winning Tom Hugh-Jones (Planet Earth II). From Plimsoll Productions, the series draws attention to the most extraordinary - almost supernatural - accounts of animals that have conformed to the cruelest evolutionary curveballs.

Set against the backdrop of a more violent and volatile climate, the epic battles for survival take on a new urgency as animals face intensified wildfires, blizzards, droughts and downpours. To some, the new challenges are too much, but for others, it presents new opportunities. HOSTILE PLANET is an epic drama told in an intimate manner with new camera technology allowing a close-up vantage point as the animals navigate through their changing landscapes.

"The series celebrates the surprising resiliency of animals that survive and thrive in the face of adversity," says Tim Pastore, president of original production and programming, National Geographic. "Not only do we showcase animals during their most dramatic, culminating moments, we also explore the consequences of a changing climate by immersing the viewer into an emotional narrative."

With Navarro's expertise in magical realism - a hallmark of his Academy-Award-winning cinematography of the critically acclaimed film Pan's Labyrinth - HOSTILE PLANET infuses a 'dark fairy tale' tone into the series to underscore the beauty discovered during the most difficult times on Earth. The imagery may feel otherworldly, but it's a realistic portrayal of the planet through the animals' eyes.

"It's an incredible honor to bring my vision to life with National Geographic, which is known for its unparalleled wildlife storytelling," says Navarro. "With HOSTILE PLANET, I am able to build a visual narrative to capture environments where species face the most critical state of our times."

Each episode characterizes one the planet's roughest environments - including jungles, mountains, deserts, oceans, the Poles and grasslands - and how each of its inhabitants acclimate to its turn of events.

"National Geographic permits us to push the boundaries of this genre as only this network can do," says Grant Mansfield, CEO of Plimsoll Productions. "With this freedom, we are creating a dynamic saga of life on Earth that's exhilarating and fascinating. Just because there's life, it doesn't mean living is easy."

HOSTILE PLANET is produced by Plimsoll Productions for National Geographic. For Plimsoll Productions, executive producers include Grant Mansfield, Andrew Jackson, Martha Holmes and Tom Hugh-Jones, who also serves as showrunner. Guillermo Navarro is executive producer. For National Geographic, Tim Pastore is president of original production and programming, and Kevin Tao Mohs is executive producer.

For more information, visit www.natgeotv.com or our press site www.natgeotvpressroom.com, or follow us on Twitter using @NGC_PR.

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About National Geographic Partners LLC

National Geographic Partners LLC (NGP), a joint venture between National Geographic and 21st Century Fox, is committed to bringing the world premium science, adventure and exploration content across an unrivaled portfolio of media assets. NGP combines the global National Geographic television channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO, Nat Geo PEOPLE) with National Geographic's media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; children's media; and ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, licensing and e-commerce businesses. Furthering knowledge and understanding of our world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 130 years, and now we are committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for our consumers ... and reaching millions of people around the world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month as we do it. NGP returns 27 percent of our proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. For more information, visit natgeotv.com or nationalgeographic.com, or find us on Facebook, Twitter , Instagram, YouTube , LinkedIn and Pinterest.

About Guillermo Navarro

Guillermo Navarro has transitioned to a television directing career after a tremendous career in cinematography. He won the Academy Award for his work on Pan's Labyrinth and received acclaim for his work on Pacific Rim, Twilight and Night at the Museum. In the television world, he began directing many episodes of Hannibal. Recently, he shot episodes of Narcos, The Bridge and Preacher.

About Plimsoll Productions

Plimsoll Productions creates and produces non scripted programming for the international television market from offices in Bristol, Los Angeles and Cardiff. The award-winning creative team has produced some of the biggest factual hits in recent years, winning Emmy Awards as well as top honors from BAFTA and RTS. Since launching five years ago, the company has produced over 40 series for domestic and international networks, including Earth Live (Nat Geo), Rescue Dog to Super Dog (Animal Planet), Teach My Pet to Do That (ITV) and Camp Zambia (Love Nature, Smithsonian Networks), among many more. Last year, the company earned the fifth position in the Sunday Times' annual Fast Track 100, and the British Chamber of Commerce awarded the company the High Growth Business of the Year award, making Plimsoll the first independent production company to ever be honored with the award.