Sigourney Weaver & James Cameron Board ‘Secrets Of The Whales’ Event Series For Nat Geo – TCA

Denise Petski
·3 min read

Golden Globe and BAFTA-winning actress Sigourney Weaver (Alien, Avatar, Gorillas in the Mist) has been tapped to narrate Secrets of the Whales, a four-part event series for Nat Geo, with Oscar-winning filmmaker and National Geographic Explorer-At-Large James Cameron to serve as executive producer. The series, which chronicles the whale way way of life, is set to premiere globally on Nat Geo on Earth Day, April 22, 2021 in 172 countries and 43 languages. The project was announced Monday as part of Nat Geo’s virtual summer TCA press tour presentation.

From National Geographic Explorer and Photographer Brian Skerry, Secrets of the Whales chronicles the whale way of life and their challenges and triumphs in an ever-changing ocean. Filmed across three years in 24 locations, the series is a personal saga, venturing deep into the world of whales to reveal life and love from their perspective.

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Per Nat Geo, Weaver guides viewers on a journey to the heart of whale culture to experience the extraordinary communication skills and intricate social structures of five different whale species. With the help of new science and technology, viewers witness whales making lifelong friendships, teaching clan heritage and traditions to their young and grieving deeply for the loss of loved ones.

Skerry’s latest work will also be featured in National Geographic magazine and the National Geographic book Secrets of the Whales timed to the special.

“National Geographic has long been deepening our connection to the world around us, and I’m honored to team up with them to narrate this stunning series,” says Weaver. “Viewers get up close and personal and experience the extraordinary emotion, grace and power of these magnificent creatures. They get to know them intimately in order to ultimately realize just how like them we truly are.”

“Secrets of the Whales has all the elements I love — new tech used for scientific inquiry, wrapped in great storytelling that visually excites and emotionally resonates,” says Cameron. “I’m proud to work with my longtime partner, National Geographic, in showing incredible new insights into the inner world of whales, their emotion and culture. These majestic, mysterious animals continue to surprise us.”

“Capturing these whales on film has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my entire life, and I’m thrilled to bring the complexity and beauty of these creatures right to viewers’ living rooms,” says Skerry. “It is my hope that in venturing into their world, viewers recognize themselves in these animals’ joy, pain, love and relationships and are as inspired by them as I am.”

One of the world’s top ocean photographers, Skerry has spent more than 10,000 hours underwater, documenting uncharted territory and elucidating environmental issues, often leading to policy change.

Secrets of the Whales is produced for National Geographic by Red Rock Films. For Red Rock Films, Brian Armstrong and Shannon Malone-DeBenedictis are executive producers. For Earthship, James Cameron and Maria Wilhelm are executive producers and Kim Butts is associate producer. For National Geographic, Pamela Caragol is executive producer and Geoff Daniels is executive vice president of global unscripted entertainment for National Geographic Global Networks.

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