The highly anticipated extended trailer for the BBC Studios Natural History Unit series, Planet Earth III, has made its worldwide debut. Accompanied by a song composed and performed by multiple Academy Award-winning composer Hans Zimmer, Mercury Prize Award-nominated singer-songwriter RAYE, and Brit-winning and Grammy-nominated band Bastille, in collaboration with Emmy and BAFTA-winning composer collective Bleeding Fingers Music.
The extended trailer showcases the brand-new track “Mother Nature” with captivating lyrics written and performed by RAYE, complemented by the mesmerising vocals of Bastille’s frontman, Dan Smith. These elements beautifully convey the awe, beauty, fragility, and resilience of the Earth, all of which are central themes throughout the series. The breathtaking visuals in the trailer offer a tantalising glimpse of the extraordinary animals from around the world that will be featured in the series. This includes a leopard leaping an astounding 30ft in Southern Africa, a wild rhino strolling through the bustling streets of a Nepalese town, and a multitude of skydiving tree frogs in the Costa Rican jungle – all captured during this five-year endeavour.
“Mother Nature” made its global debut on Greg James’s BBC Radio 1 breakfast show this morning. The reveal of the extended trailer for Planet Earth III was shared across various platforms, including BBC Earth and BBC Studios’ Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube accounts, as well as on-air worldwide. It will also be featured on the social media accounts of Hans Zimmer, RAYE, and Bastille.
Over the past year, Hans Zimmer, Jacob Shea, Sara Barone, producer Russell Emanuel, and Bastille’s Dan Smith have collaborated on the score for Planet Earth III. This includes Dan Smith’s vocals on the opening title theme song, as well as throughout all episodes of the series. Their collaborative reworking of Bastille’s hit single, “Pompeii,” entitled “Pompeii MMXXIII,” will be featured in the series end credits.
Two-time Oscar winner Hans Zimmer also worked on the track with his long-time collaborators from Bleeding Fingers Music, producer Russell Emanuel and arranger Andrew Christie. Zimmer and Bleeding Fingers Music previously composed the BAFTA-nominated score for Planet Earth II, as well as 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 honour 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 soundscape 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 honour and a moment I will always cherish.“
Dan Smith, 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, Executive Producer, Planet Earth III, 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 groundbreaking Emmy and BAFTA award-winning Planet Earth II, known for the iguana and snakes chase viral sensation, the eagerly anticipated Planet Earth III will journey across the continents, revealing the wonders of our planet. This spellbinding series will feature never-seen-before behaviour, and delve deep into the stories and animal characters that 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’ from around the globe who put their lives on the line to protect the wildlife and the critically important ecosystems of Planet Earth.
This extraordinary eight-episode series is narrated by Sir David Attenborough and produced by BBC Studios’ Natural History Unit, the creators of Blue Planet II and Planet Earth II.
Planet Earth III, an 8×60’ BBC Studios Natural History Production, is 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. It was commissioned by Jack Bootle, Head of Commissioning, Specialist Factual. Planet Earth III will be launching soon on BBC One and iPlayer.
