National Geographic
Interview

‘One Strange Rock’ on National Geographic: Filmmaker Darren Aronofsky Loves His Mother (Earth) With Help From Will Smith and Astronauts!

Much of the talk about Earth these days is how we’ll communally exit it — via NASA or SpaceX, done in by our own bad habits or getting pulverized by the sort of cosmic event that got us here in the first place. That doesn’t sit well with Oscar-nominated filmmaker Darren Aronofsky. Aronofsky, who trained as a field biologist, teamed with the “mega-documentary” experts at Nutopia and an eight-pack of well-spoken astronauts to craft One Strange Rock, a mesmerizing 10-episode love letter to our home planet, co-anchored by Will Smith and the space travelers and airing on National Geographic. The […]

Geoffrey Rush as Albert Einstein GeniusDusan Martincek
Interview

Walter Isaacson on Genius, National Geographic’s ‘Genius’ and the Power of Imagination

Fans of Walter Isaacson’s exhaustive biographies know two things when they pick up his latest. One, it won’t be a quick read. And two, every moment will be worth it, as heroes of science and technology become irresistible in their humanity as much as their exceptional minds. The latter inspired filmmakers Gigi Pritzker, Ron Howard and Brian Grazer to choose Isaacson’s 2008 book Einstein: His Life and Universe as the launching point for their National Geographic series Genius — a series they hope will spark the imagination and wonder of viewers of all ages. And take the scary out of science, […]

Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks HBOQuantrell Colbert/HBO
Magazine Archive

‘The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks’: HBO and Oprah Turn the Bestseller into a Must-See Film

You may not know of her, but your life has been directly, enormously impacted by Henrietta Lacks. Henrietta, a stout and pretty rural Virginian born in 1920, was the devoted mother of five, including a disabled eldest daughter on whom she doted. She looked after friends and neighbors, too. Henrietta accepted the hard work of tobacco farming, though she knew she might have accomplished much more. She loved to dance and tended her looks, particularly her nails, which were perfectly polished nearly to the day she died at age 31. And Henrietta suffered an agonizing and possibly preventable death from […]

Nat Geo
Interview

‘Genius’: Geoffrey Rush and Johnny Flynn Talk Playing Einstein on National Geographic

Geoffrey Rush done up as Einstein and killing time on bench outside the enormous Prague soundstage where National Geographic’s Genius filmed begs an instant double take. For actor/musician Johnny Flynn, embodying the younger Albert proved a bit more challenging. • RELATED: ‘Genius’: Geoffrey Rush Plays A Deliciously Human Einstein on National Geographic • RELATED: National Geographic’s ‘Genius’: Meet the Two Mrs. Einsteins! “All the footage that exists of him is after he came to America,” Flynn explains of the man he calls “quite maverick and punk.” “The exciting thing about the potential in this show is to create an idea of […]

Mars Nat GeoNational Geographic: Robert Viglasky
Interview

MARS: Could We Be a Multi-Planet Species? Ron Howard and NGC Team Up to Show You How it Might Happen Sooner Than You Think

MARS premieres Monday, Nov. 14 at 9/8CT on National Geographic Channel. Fifty years. In just 50 years, a thriving colony of humans will live beneath the surface of Mars. That’s not science fiction. Not prognostication. Not the pipe dream of a handful of billionaires with money to burn. And National Geographic Channel is about to take you on an awe-inspiring journey that examines how humans might someday — someday soon — be Martians. In its most ambitious television project ever, the network partnered with Ron Howard’s Imagine Entertainment, RadicalMedia and a veritable who’s who of scientific minds and other “big thinkers” (the […]

Brian Grazer and Ron Howard co executive produce Genius on Nat Geo
Science

Nat Geo’s first scripted series is Genius

Today, National Geographic Channel announced plans for Genius, the network’s first ever scripted series. The ambitious anthology series is a partnership between the network, Fox 21 Television Studios (Homeland, The People v. O.J. Simpson), Ron Howard and Brian Grazer’s Imagine Television (24, Empire), OddLot Entertainment (Rosewater; The Way, Way Back) and EUE/Sokolow. Howard will direct the series premiere, with each season spotlighting one of the world’s most brilliant minds. Season 1 will focus on the guy whose name is synonymous with the idea of genius — Albert Einstein — and will be adapted from Walter Isaacson’s critically-acclaimed book Einstein: His Life and Universe by writer Noah […]

A Year in Space PBS
Documentary

“A Year in Space” on PBS: Inside Scott Kelly’s 12-month space odyssey

If humankind will someday travel to and live on Mars, much will be owed to the scientific groundwork laid by astronaut Scott Kelly’s year on the International Space Station (ISS). After more than 340 days in space, Kelly is scheduled to return to Earth on March 1 at 11:25pm ET. Marking the occasion, PBS and Time have partnered to present A Year in Space, a two-part documentary tracking his entire mission. The first part (March 2 at 8pm ET, check local listings) follows Kelly’s extensive training, his launch into orbit, and his life aboard the ISS. Part 2 airs in […]