Five years in the making, this doco series follows Will Smith across all seven continents in 100 days.
Will Smith takes the audience on the ultimate journey of discovery in a new seven-part doco series from National Geographic From pole to pole with Will Smith.
“This trip was unlike anything I’ve ever done – at times I worried I might not make it home! It’s an exploration not only of the edges of the planet, but of some of the most special people who live there,” said Smith. “From the coldest ice to the deepest jungles, the beauty of our world inspired me with awe and hope every step of the way.”
“Of From pole to pole with Will Smithwe invite audiences to see our planet through Will’s eyes – with all the wonder, humor and humanity he brings to every experience,” said Tom McDonald, EVP, Content, National Geographic. “It’s a thrilling adventure that embodies what National Geographic does best: combining breathtaking cinematography, powerful storytelling and a deeper understanding of how our world works – and why it matters.”
Over five years, the series follows Will across all seven continents, taking him from the ice fields of Antarctica to the jungles of the Amazon, the mountains of the Himalayas, the deserts of Africa, the islands of the Pacific and the icebergs of the Arctic.
Inspired by his late mentor to explore life’s big questions, Will embarks on 100 days of incredible challenges: skiing to the South Pole, catching a giant anaconda, milking a venomous tarantula, climbing mountains and diving beneath the ice of the North Pole. He will venture from pole to pole in the company of scientists, explorers and local experts.
Told with the cinematic scale, accessibility and authenticity that only National Geographic can deliver, this once-in-a-lifetime adventure combines groundbreaking science, environmental storytelling and daring exploration. Guided by experts, scientists and explorers, Will helps make the world’s first scientific discoveries and forges deep human connections – from the Waorani community of the Amazon to the San people of the Kalahari, whose knowledge and resilience offer powerful lessons about our future on the planet. Pole to Pole with Will Smith is an epic global undertaking defined by endurance, wonder and hope.
Episodes include:
“The South Pole”
Will heads to the South Pole, where temperatures can drop below minus 100 degrees Fahrenheit. He skis and treks across gigantic ice fields, and faced with a gigantic ice cliff in icy winds, he struggles to climb to the top. Only with the support of one of the best pool athletes in the world, Richard Parks, will he succeed. At one of the most isolated research stations in the world, scientists take ice cores deep below the surface and make incredible sacrifices to continue their research.
“The Amazon: Deadly Creatures”
Will, a man who has been afraid of spiders all his life, ventures deep into the Ecuadorian Amazon on an expedition in search of deadly creatures. Together with Professor Bryan Fry and local mountaineer Carla Perez, they abseil 60 meters into a cave network known as the ‘womb of the Earth’, where they discover a giant tarantula. Using advanced techniques, they extract its poison, which could be the key to saving millions of lives.
“The Amazon: Dark Waters”
Will, Bryan and Carla travel to the Amazon with local Waorani elder Penti Baihua in search of the world’s largest snake: the giant green anaconda. They carefully remove just one scale from the skin of the more than 6 meter long snake. Will’s fear turns to relief and then to joy. The single shell can reveal the health of the entire ecosystem – crucial for the future of both nature and the Waorani.
“The Himalayas”
Will travels to the kingdom of Bhutan on a very intimate journey in search of the secret to happiness. Under the guidance of happiness expert Professor Dacher Keltner and local writer Tshering Denkar, Will travels to one of the highest and happiest villages in the Himalayas, at an altitude of 4,000 meters. While there, he faces some of the most challenging moments of his extraordinary life and career.
“The Pacific Islands”
Together with linguist Dr. Mary Walworth and local marine ecologist John Aini, Will travels to the South Pacific on an expedition to a remote island threatened by rising sea levels. What starts as an exploration of an incredible marine paradise turns into a truly revealing journey for Will about his own history, as they record a lost language spoken by only five people.
“The Kalahari Desert”
Will travels deep into the Kalahari Desert to meet the San people, one of the oldest hunter-gatherer groups on earth. To discover the secret of their lasting success, he must join them on a hunt for one of the most inhospitable places on earth. Led by local San bushman guide Kane Motswana, it doesn’t take long before he realizes he is completely unsuited for this adventure.
“The North Pole”
The final part of Will’s 100-day adventure is his most dangerous mission yet: an expedition to dive beneath the Arctic ice to help polar ecologist Allison Fong collect the world’s first scientific samples. But when a snowstorm and a mechanical failure throw the mission into crisis, Will learns what it takes to be a hero in real life.
Pole to Pole with Will Smith is produced by Westbrook Studios, Nutopia and Protozoa for National Geographic. Will Smith is host and executive producer. For Westbrook, Terence Carter and Miguel Melendez are executive producers. For Nutopia, Jane Root and Peter Lovering are executive producers, and Tom Williams is co-executive producer. Darren Aronofsky and Ari Handel serve as executive producers for Protozoa. For National Geographic, Sean D. Johnson and Bengt Anderson are executive producers, and Tom McDonald is executive vice president of Content. After ‘One Strange Rock’ and ‘Welcome to Earth’, Pole to Pole with Will Smith is Will’s third project with National Geographic.
Wednesday, January 14 on Disney+.
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