National Geographic has greenlit docs from 72 Films, Silverback and Plimsoll.
72 Films is to make three parter, Oklahoma Bombing: One Day in America, the fourth instalment in the One Day In franchise.
Plimsoll Productions is to make The Last Frontier With Alex Honnold featuring Free Solo climber Honnold taking on “one of the most notorious, treacherous mountains in North America.”
Silverback is making Billy and Molly, a story of the friendship between a man and an otter in the Shetlands.
Oklahoma Bombing: One Day in America is the story behind the deadliest act of domestic terrorism in U.S. history, the race to find survivors and the authorities’ hunt to find the bomber. It is slated to premiere in 2025, marking the 30th anniversary of the event.
“The ONE DAY IN… series is one of a kind – seamlessly stitching together archival footage and interviews to immerse viewers into the events of one historic day in America in a way that makes it feel like you were really there,” said Tom McDonald, EVP, Global Factual and Unscripted Content, National Geographic. “This series is a prime example of why National Geographic is the brand of record when it comes to retelling key events in global history in the most forensic and detailed ways. Our goal is always to create an enduring testament to these events.”
From executive producers David Glover of 72 Films, along with TJ Martin and Dan Lindsey, Oklahoma Bombing: One Day in America provides “not only moving stories of heroism, bravery and selflessness, but it also tells the story of homegrown hate that led to the mass killing of innocent people. With white nationalism on the rise in present day, events of this day in history contain lessons that remain deeply relevant today.”
For 72 Films, David Glover is executive producer. TJ Martin and Dan Lindsey are also executive producers. For National Geographic, Carolyn Payne is commissioning editor and Tom McDonald is executive vice president, Global Factual and Unscripted Content.
The Last Frontier With Alex Honnold takes viewers on Honnold (“Free Solo”) and renowned rock climber Tommy Caldwell’s expedition as they climb one of the most notorious, treacherous mountains in North America.
From the award-winning filmmakers Peter Mortimer (The Alpinist and The Dawn Wall) and Renan Ozturk (Explorer: The Last Tepui and Lost on Everest) and Plimsoll Productions (Super/Natural, Hostile Planet), The Last Frontier With Alex Honnold (working title) will chronicle the intensive journey as the two accomplished climbers and best friends strive to make history once again. This summer, the duo will embark on a first-ever ascent while shining a light on the conservation fight with global implications, serving as a key message and timely backdrop for the documentary.
“This next thrilling project from Alex will no doubt be a heart-racing adventure film, spotlighting two decorated climbers as they attempt one of the most notorious climbing feats in the world, but it is also so much more,” said Tom McDonald, EVP, Global Factual and Unscripted Content, National Geographic. “They hope to give context to a greater picture, investigating the environmental threats that could jeopardize the land for future generations and the wildlife that inhabit it. Each step, leap and hold Honnold and Caldwell make is a reminder of the beauty of our world and the urgent call to protect it.”
The show is from National Geographic Content and produced in partnership with Plimsoll Productions. For Plimsoll, Grant Mansfield, Martha Holmes, Alan Eyres are executive producers. James Smith is showrunner. Renan Ozturk is director, Matt Pycroft is co-director and Peter Mortimer is executive producer. Lucy Muldoon is Production Executive. Alex Honnold and Jonathan Retseck are executive producers. For National Geographic, Chris Kugelman is executive producer; Bengt Anderson is senior vice president, Production, Unscripted Content, and Tom McDonald is executive vice president, Global Factual and Unscripted Content.
Billy and Molly is billed as a “timeless love story between a man and an otter set in the remote, wild Shetland archipelago.” The series is produced by Emmy Award-winning Silverback Films and features a score from Scottish composer Erland Cooper.
From co-directors Charlie Hamilton James (National Geographic Photographer) and Jeff Wilson, the story follows Billy, a salt-of-the-earth philosopher, and Molly, a half-drowned, starving young female otter that Billy stumbles on one rainy evening in the Scottish subarctic. From there, an unlikely relationship begins that eventually saves them both.
“Billy and Molly is a beautiful, special story that encapsulates the beauty of the natural world and the effect it can have on our lives during the unlikeliest moments,” said Tom McDonald, executive vice president, Global Factual and Unscripted Content, National Geographic. “The presence of nature can help rewrite our own personal histories if we take a moment to connect with it. That’s really the core of the natural history content we create at National Geographic: to encourage people around the world to connect with nature, and I think Billy and Molly will inspire viewers to do just that.”
For Silverback Films, Alastair Fothergill and Keith Scholey are executive producers. Charlie Hamilton James and Jeff Wilson are co-directors. Jeff Wilson also serves as producer. Erland Cooper is the composer. For National Geographic, Janet Vissering is senior vice president, Development and Production, and Tom McDonald is executive vice president, Global Factual and Unscripted Content.
Jon Creamer
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