EXTENDED FIRST-LOOK TRAILER AND MUSICAL LINEUP UNVEILED FOR EPIC AND BREATHTAKING LANDMARK NATURAL HISTORY SERIES PLANET EARTH III
The Third Part in the Planet Earth Series, Narrated by Legendary Naturalist Sir David Attenborough, Set to Premiere on BBC AMERICA and AMC+ Later This Year
View and Embed Extended First-Look Trailer
NEW YORK – September 29, 2023 – To launch Planet Earth III, the third part in the highly lauded and multi-Emmy® Award-winning Planet Earth series, BBC AMERICA and BBC Studios today released an extended first-look trailer, accompanied by a song created and performed by Academy® Award-winning composer Hans Zimmer, Mercury Prize Award nominated singer songwriter RAYE, and Brit-winning and Grammy® Award-nominated band Bastille, in collaboration with Emmy® and BAFTA® Award-winning composer collective Bleeding Fingers Music.
Executive produced by Emmy® Award-winner Mike Gunton (Planet Earth II, Dynasties II) and series-produced by Emmy® Award-nominee Matt Brandon (Cities: Nature’s New Wild), renowned naturalist and three-time Emmy® Award-winner Sir David Attenborough (Planet Earth II, Blue Planet II, Frozen Planet II) narrates the eight-episode groundbreaking and cinematic series that is premiering on BBC AMERICA and AMC+ later this year.
The extended trailer features the brand-new track ‘Mother Nature’ with beautiful compelling lyrics written and performed by RAYE, combined with Bastille frontman Dan Smith’s mesmerising vocals, that reflect the Earth’s awe, beauty, fragility and resilience, subjects highlighted throughout the series. The stunning visuals in the extended trailer give us a tantalising glimpse of the extraordinary animals from around the globe set to feature in the series, which include a leopard leaping an astounding 30ft in Southern Africa, a wild rhino walking through the busy streets of a Nepalese town and a mass of skydiving tree frogs in the Costa Rican jungle, all filmed during this five-year project.
Over the last year composers Hans Zimmer, Jacob Shea, Sara Barone and Bastille’s Dan Smith have collaborated across the Planet Earth III series score. These stunning soundscapes feature Dan Smith’s vocals on the opening title theme song, as well as within all episodes of the series. Their collaborative reworking of Bastille’s hit single, Pompeii entitled Pompeii MMXXIII, features on the series end credits.
Two-time Academy® Award-winner Hans Zimmer also worked on the track with his long-term collaborators from Bleeding Fingers Music, producer Russell Emanuel and arranger Andrew Christie. Zimmer and Bleeding Fingers Music previously composed the BAFTA®-nominated score to Planet Earth II, and critically acclaimed music for Blue Planet II and Frozen Planet II.
Hans Zimmer commented: “Creating scores for any of the BBC’s Natural History series is always an honor for me as there are no more epic stories than those occurring naturally every day in our own planet’s ecosystem. For Planet Earth III it’s a further privilege to bring the incredible world class talents of Bastille and RAYE to create both a wonderful sound scape for the series, and the beautiful, poignant track Mother Nature.”
RAYE said: “I am a Planet Earth stan, I’ve watched religiously for years, so having this opportunity open for me doesn’t even feel real. David Attenborough and Hans Zimmer are two of my heroes, to be able to compose a song with Hans is BEYOND a wildest dream, and then to hear Sir David narrate over and in between my voice actually brings tears to my eyes. To be able to contribute in my small way to this massively important and equally beautiful documentary series is an honor and a moment I will always cherish.”
Dan Smith from Bastille said: “Working on the music for Planet Earth III with Hans, Russell, Sara and Jacob, from Bleeding Fingers Music has been an absolute dream come true for me. I can’t believe how lucky I’ve been to collaborate with, and learn from, such hugely talented musicians on this incredible project. Like so many of us, I’ve grown up watching David Attenborough teach us all about the natural world, so being a small part of this legendary show has been really surreal, an amazing experience and such a huge privilege.”
Mike Gunton added: “The soundscape is the secret sauce of a great wildlife series and there is no-one better to deliver this than our long-term collaborator Hans and his team – but what makes this extraordinary musical project exciting for me is the new ingredient provided by Raye and Bastille. This creative combination is unprecedented, and the results are jaw-droppingly good!”
Seven years after the ground-breaking Emmy® and BAFTA® Award-winning Planet Earth II, the eagerly anticipated Planet Earth III will journey across the continents revealing the wonders of our planet. This spellbinding series will feature never before seen behavior, and dive deep into the stories and animal characters which reflect the new challenges that wildlife faces in our modern, crowded world. The series will also highlight the growing need to preserve and restore nature. In the final episode, viewers will meet some of the dedicated ‘heroes’ across the globe who put their lives on the line to protect the wildlife and the critically important ecosystems of Planet Earth.
Planet Earth III is BBC Studios Natural History Production co-produced with BBC AMERICA, ZDF and France Televisions in partnership with The Open University for BBC. The executive producer is Mike Gunton, and the series producer is Matt Brandon. BBC Studios is handling global distribution.
About BBC AMERICA
BBC AMERICA is a hub of innovative, culturally contagious programming including the Peabody Award-winning series Killing Eve starring Golden Globe® and SAG® Award-winner Sandra Oh and Emmy® Award-winner Jodie Comer. The network is the definitive television home and co-producer of the most iconic natural history series and franchises including Planet Earth, Blue Planet, Dynasties, Eden: Untamed Planet, Frozen Planet and Seven Worlds, One Planet. BBCA transforms every Saturday into Wonderstruck, a weekly destination for wildlife and wonder. A joint venture between AMC Networks and BBC Studios (the commercial arm of the BBC), BBCA’s influential shows such as Doctor Who, Orphan Black, Luther and The Graham Norton Show have attracted critical acclaim and earned Emmy® Awards, Golden Globes®, Peabody Awards, Critics’ Choice Awards, NAACP Image Awards, TCA Awards and more. BBC AMERICA is available across all platforms, including on-air, online, on demand and mobile. Find out more by visiting press.amcnetworks.com. BBCA on social: YouTube – Twitter – Instagram – Facebook – Tumblr
About AMC+
AMC+ is the company’s new premium streaming bundle featuring an extensive lineup of popular and critically acclaimed original programming from AMC, BBC America, IFC, and SundanceTV and full access to targeted streaming services Shudder, Sundance Now and IFC Films Unlimited, which feature content such as A Discovery of Witches, Creepshow, and Boyhood. The service features a continually refreshed library of commercial-free content, with iconic series from the AMC Networks portfolio including Mad Men, Halt & Catch Fire, Hell on Wheels, Turn: Washington’s Spies, Rectify, Portlandia, and series from The Walking Dead Universe, among many others. The service also offers a growing slate of original and exclusive series including Gangs of London, This is Going to Hurt, Dark Winds, and the first two series in a new Anne Rice universe, Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire and Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches. With new movies released every Friday, AMC+ is the newest destination for exclusive film premieres direct from theaters all year long. AMC+ is available in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, South Korea, and Spain and is available in the U.S. through AMCPlus.com, the AMC+ app, and a number of digital and cable partners.