Ocean With David Attenborough, a new film in which the legendary broadcaster explores how his lifetime has coincided with the great age of ocean discovery, is coming to cinemas in May.
In the special, which will also be available on Disney+ later in the year, Sir David shares why a healthy ocean keeps the entire planet stable and flourishing.
Stunning, immersive cinematography showcases the wonder of life under the seas and exposes the realities and challenges facing our ocean as never-before-seen, from destructive fishing techniques to mass coral reef bleaching.
Yet the story is one of optimism, with Attenborough pointing to inspirational stories from around the world to deliver his greatest message: the ocean can recover to a glory beyond anything anyone alive has ever seen.
Produced by Silverback Films and Open Planet Studios, it’s being released on 8 May as a ‘Global Cinema Event’ to allow audiences worldwide to come together to experience Attenborough’s untold story of the ocean.
Altitude are releasing the film in the UK & Ireland and have partnered with Piece of Magic Entertainment to release the film in the rest of the world, including in Australia, New Zealand, France, Canada, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland and South Africa. Additional countries are still to be announced.
The release coincides with Sir David’s 99th birthday and is also timed ahead of World Ocean Day, June’s United Nations Ocean Conference 2025 in Nice, France, and midway through the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030).
David Attenborough said, “My lifetime has coincided with the great age of ocean discovery.
“Over the last hundred years, scientists and explorers have revealed remarkable new species, epic migrations and dazzling, complex ecosystems beyond anything I could have imagined as a young man.
“In this film, we share some of those wonderful discoveries, uncover why our ocean is in such poor health, and, perhaps most importantly, show how it can be restored to health.
“This could be the moment of change. Nearly every country on Earth has just agreed, on paper, to achieve this bare minimum and protect a third of the ocean. Together, we now face the challenge of making it happen.”