Mahershala Ali, Idris Elba, Nicole Kidman and Keanu Reeves to Narrate Sleep and Relaxation TV Series for HBO Max

Will Thorne
·3 min read

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Ever dreamed of having Mahershala Ali, Keanu Reeves or Nicole Kidman help you drift off to sleep? Well HBO Max is helping make those dreams become a reality.

The streamer has issued a 10-episode order for a new series called “A World of Calm,” which “combines mesmeric imagery with narration by A-list stars” to bring relaxation to the audience. “A World of Calm,” which represents HBO Max’s first foray into the health and wellness space, is the result of a collaboration between the makers of the highly popular sleep app Calm and Nutopia, the team behind Nat Geo’s “One Strange Rock” series.

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Each half-hour episode of the show will feature a relaxing tale designed to transform how the viewer (or listener if you have your eyes closed) feels. The aim is to “transport the viewer into tranquility through scientifically-engineered narratives, enchanting music and astounding footage, to naturally calm your body and soothe the mind.”

The impressive lineup of narrators for the series also includes Idris Elba, Oscar Isaac, Zoë Kravitz, Lucy Liu, and Cillian Murphy.

“With the considerable amount of stress and chaos we are all experiencing at this particularly challenging time, we could all use a bit of guided relaxation and ‘A World of Calm’ is here to help,” said Jennifer O’Connell, executive vice president of non-fiction and kids programming for HBO Max. “With soothing imagery and tranquil narration, this is one HBO Max original that we hope becomes part of your daily routine.”

The series is co-produced by Calm and Nutopia, with Jane Root, Nicola Moody, Michael Acton Smith and Chris Advansun serving as executive producers, and Sara Brailsford and Fiona Caldwell as co-executive producers.

“We are thrilled to work with such amazing partners as HBO Max and Calm for this new cutting edge endeavor,” said Root, Nutopia CEO and founder. “ Although this collaboration has been in the works for many months, this series has been entirely created during quarantine using Nutopia’s worldwide network of award winning cinematographers and filmmakers. We hope this series of serene stories will bring a sense of much needed calm to audiences.”

“Calm started life as a meditation app but the brand has evolved far beyond that,” added Smith, Calm co-founder and co-CEO. “We are delighted to bring the magic behind our audio Sleep Stories to the screen for the first time. These experiences are visual Valium and will help people relax and unwind during these stressful times.”

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