This in from Lizerne Guiting: Disney goes green with the launch of its new film label, Disneynature – to produce big-screen nature documentaries. The first film for the new label is Earth, narrated by Darth Vader voice James Earl Jones, which will premiere theatrically on Earth Day, April 22, 2009. France-based Disney exec Jean-Francois Camilleri, who co-produced March of the Penguins, will run Disneynature.
There’s nothing new about films that try to raise environmental awareness such as The Day After Tomorrow, March of the Penguins, An Inconvenient Truth, and even the kid pleaser Happy Feet. But the Disney giant brings nature documentaries to a much larger scale, literally going to the ends of the earth to tell stories that promote preservation. This is great news for Bambi and his tree hugger friends alike.
Plans for Disneynature to produce roughly one theatrical release per year are already in the works. Check out the line-up for 2008 and beyond:
December 2008:
The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos
This film will take viewers to the isolated shores of Lake Natron in northern Tanzania for a birds-eye view of the lives of flamingos.
2010:
Oceans
French co-directors Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud set out to capture the full expanse of the waters that have played such a crucial and constant role in the history of man.
Orangutans: One Minute to Midnight
The true story of a six-year-old male orangutan and his little sister, who must take an incredible journey to find a home and a family.
2011:
Big Cats
A lioness, a leopard and a cheetah – as they explore their world on the great plains of Africa and survive on their power and their cunning, while they protect and teach their cubs the ways of the wild.
Naked Beauty: A Love Story that Feeds the Earth
A look at nature close up: A bat, a hummingbird, a butterfly and a bumblebee demonstrate their intricate interdependence and how life on earth depends on the success of these determined, diminutive creatures.
2012:
Chimpanzee
To be shot over three years in the tropical jungles of the Ivory Coast and Uganda, Chimpanzee will help us better understand this exceptionally smart species.
