WASHINGTON (April 6, 2010)—In commemoration of Earth Day’s 40th anniversary on April 22, 2010, and the premiere of National Geographic’s highly anticipated new network devoted to nature and wildlife programming, Nat Geo WILD, National Geographic Home Entertainment is releasing six DVD and Blu-ray format titles with themes that celebrate the breathtaking vistas and fascinating mammals and marine life that make up our planet.
Available at retail beginning in April, all releases will be available on shopNGvideos.com, in stores where videos are sold or by calling (800) 627-5162. Titles include:
“Canyonlands” (DVD/Blu-Ray)
A little-known jewel of America’s National Parks, Canyonlands National Park exhibits a stark landscape of extraordinary features, stretching out over 300,000 acres of desert wilderness, dotted with towering spires and spectacular canyons. Its rugged terrain tells the history of this land, from its original inhabitants to the cowboys and outlaws of the Old West. Includes bonus programs “Wild Chronicles: Colorado Mountain Lions” and “Wild Chronicles: Yellowstone River.”
Street Date: April 6, 2010
Suggested Retail Price: $19.97 (DVD)/$29.99 (BD)
Run Time: Approx. 50 mins.
“Africa’s Lost Eden” (DVD/Blu-Ray) (Nat Geo WILD Premiere)
Once known as “the place where Noah left his Ark,” Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park has been ravaged by civil war. National Geographic explores the efforts being undertaken to bring this African oasis back to its former glory, including perhaps the most ambitious restoration effort ever attempted, as scores of elephants, hippos, zebras, wildebeest, impalas and buffaloes are relocated back to the park. Narrated by actor Keith David (“The Princess and the Frog”). Includes bonus program “Stalking Leopards.”
Street Date: April 13, 2010
Suggested Retail Price: $19.97 (DVD)/$29.99 (BD)
Run Time: Approx. 50 mins.
“Expedition Great White” (DVD)
Off the Baja coast, actor Paul Walker (“Fast and Furious”) tags along with marine biologist Dr. Michael Domeier and a team of world-class anglers to land one of the most challenging fish imaginable: the great white shark. Watch as they lift a shark roughly the size of an SUV out of the water onto a platform, mount a long-lasting tracking tag by hand, take measurements and DNA samples and release the shark unharmed — all within minutes.
Street Date: April 20, 2010
Suggested Retail Price: $19.97
Run Time: Approx. 50 mins.
Upcoming titles with similar themes, available after Earth Day include:
“American Serengeti” (DVD/Blu-Ray)
America’s Great Plains were once a vibrant grassland oasis akin to the great savannahs of Africa. When Lewis and Clark traveled this fertile land 200 years ago, the Plains were flush with herds of bison, packs of wolves, and families of grizzly bears and prairie dogs. Filmed over two years in stunning high-definition, National Geographic chronicles the massive conservation efforts underway to help wildlife thrive and revitalize this once lush landscape.
Street Date: May 11, 2010
Order Due Date: April 20, 2010
Suggested Retail Price: $19.97 (DVD)/$29.99 (BD)
Run Time: Approx. 50 mins.
Double Feature: “Mystery Gorillas” (Nat Geo WILD Premiere)/ “Search for the Great Apes” (DVD)
Join primatologist Mireya Mayor as she travels deep into the jungle to get a rare, intimate look into the family life of a gorilla group and witness individuals performing unexpected feats in the wild. Spectacularly photographed and featuring new scientific insight, “Mystery Gorillas” presents startlingly familiar animals as you’ve never seen them before.
The classic documentary “Search for the Great Apes” chronicles the groundbreaking fieldwork of Dian Fossey and Birute Galdikas-Brindamour in their quest to better understand the mountain gorilla and the elusive orangutan.
Street Date: June 15, 2010
Order Due Date: May 11, 2010
Suggested Retail Price: $19.97
Run Time: Approx. 100 mins.
“Explorer: 25 Years” (DVD)
Over the course of 25 years, “Explorer,” the longest-running documentary program on cable television, has taken viewers to more than 120 countries, opening a window on hidden parts of the world, unlocking mysteries both ancient and modern, and investigating amazing and powerful stories of science, wildlife and human nature.
Hosted by Lisa Ling, the special looks back at how the world has changed in the last quarter century and how the award-winning series has chronicled our changing world. Includes two bonus programs.
Street Date: June 22, 2010
Order Due Date: May 18, 2010
Suggested Retail Price: $19.97
Run Time: Approx. 90 Mins.
National Geographic Home Entertainment titles are distributed through Vivendi Entertainment.
About National Geographic Entertainment
National Geographic Entertainment (NGE) was established in 2007, combining into a single operating group National Geographic’s Cinema Ventures, Feature Films, Kids Entertainment, Home Entertainment and Music & Radio business units. NGE is part of the newly established National Geographic Global Media (NGGM), also formed in 2007, bringing together all of National Geographic’s editorial platforms in order to streamline collaboration and further support the Society’s mission.
About Vivendi Entertainment
Vivendi Entertainment is a full service independent film, television, DVD and digital distribution company operating in the United States and Canada. Representing a vast range of genres including action, comedy, urban, family, Latino, sports and stand-up comedies, Vivendi Entertainment has become a favorite distribution partner for independent content providers. The company has built an extensive catalog of over 3,000 titles, and its customer-centric business model was founded on the principles of collaboration and financial transparency. The company provides sales, marketing, and distribution services to many of the home entertainment industry’s most prestigious brands including: The Weinstein Company, World Wrestling Entertainment, National Geographic, Classic Media, RHI, Shout! Factory, Salient, and Code Black. The company will be releasing Letters to God, a faith-based family film, theatrically on April 9, 2010. Vivendi Entertainment is a division of Universal Music Group Distribution, the award-winning sales, marketing and distribution arm of Universal Music Group, the world’s leading music company.
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