Disney+ and National Geographic recently hosted the premiere of “Pole To Pole with Will Smith”, at London’s iconic Natural History Museum. The new seven-part docuseries which will launch on Disney+ today, January 14. Five years in the making, the series follows Will across all seven continents, taking him from the icefields 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.
The event was attended by Will Smith along with series contributors Polar Athlete Richard Parks, Venomologist Dr Bryan Fry, Polar Ecologist Allison Fong and Linguist Dr Mary Walworth. alongside executive producers Terence Carter and Miguel Melendez (Westbrook Studios) and Jane Root, Peter Lovering, Tom Williams and Ari Handel (Nutopia). Additional guests in attendance included broadcasters Ade Adepitan, Hannah Stitfall, Joelah Noble and Ayo Akinwolere, zoologist Megan McCubbin and National Geographic explorers such as Bertie Gregory, Lia Kajiki, Tamana Ayazi, Melanie Gouby and Anastasia Taylor Lind among others.
Following an introduction from wildlife presenter and National Geographic explorer Liz Bonnin, guests were treated to the first episode of the series, in which Will heads to the South Pole where temperatures can drop below minus 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The episode sees Will ski and trek across giant icefields, faces giant cliffs of ice in bone-chilling winds, whilst climbing to the top. Only with the support of one of the world’s best polar athletes, Richard Parks, does he succeed. The screening was followed by an insightful panel with Will Smith, Richard Parks, Bryan Fry Allison Fong, hosted by Liz Bonnin.
Inspired by his late mentor to explore life’s big questions, Will Smith throws himself into incredible challenges for 100 days: skiing to the South Pole, catching a giant anaconda, milking a venomous tarantula, climbing mountains, and diving under the ice of the North Pole. He will venture from pole to pole in the company of scientists, explorers and local experts.
National Geographic’s “Pole To Pole with Will Smith” is now available on Disney+.
