National Geographic: Awkwafina, Angela Bassett and Jeremy Renner suit up for premium series

Want some serious star power with what National Geographic is delivering to the masses? Look no further than Hollywood heavyweights Awkwafina, Angela Bassett and Jeremy Renner playing key roles in new series on the platform’s premium service.

It’s all in the details and if you’ve ever watched ‘Mayor of Kingstown’ then you already know Jeremy Renner is as solid as they come. Tap in.

Continuing its leadership in natural history storytelling, National Geographic announced today the superstar-studded lineup of narrators for three blue-chip natural history shows. These champion of storytellers include Awkwafina (“The Little Mermaid,” “Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens”) as narrator for the National Geographic Disney+ Original A REAL BUG’S LIFE; Angela Bassett (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” “The Flood,” “Good Night Oppy”) as executive producer and narrator for QUEENS; and Jeremy Renner (“Avengers,” “Rennervations”) for INCREDIBLE ANIMAL JOURNEYS.

“The narrator’s voice is such a crucial part of what makes a Natural History series successful. Angela, Awkwafina and Jeremy, each in their own way, bring such an enormous amount of charisma, personality and passion to these distinctive projects,” said Tom McDonald, executive vice president, Global Factual and Unscripted Content, National Geographic. “From Awkwafina’s wit to Jeremy’s warmth and Angela’s Shakespearean sense of drama, we feel both very excited and very proud to have such powerful storytellers guiding our audiences on these epic wildlife journeys.”

“We are celebrating not just the majestic creatures, big and small, captured on screen, but also the talent behind the lens who are integral to best-in-class storytelling,” said Janet Han Vissering, senior vice president, Development and Production. “The beauty of narration reflects the stunning visual cinematography that brings incredible storytelling to life.”

This announcement is testament to National Geographic’s unfaltering investment in an industry-leading portfolio of Natural History series and specials. From Jon Favreau’s LION to HOME, the most ambitious and definitive portrait of life on Earth ever attempted, and Ryan Reynold’s UNDERDOGS, Nat Geo partners with visionary filmmakers, passionate conservationists and marquee talent. Collectively sharing a passion for storytelling is what unites this incredible slate of talent.  

INCREDIBLE ANIMAL JOURNEYS (Pilmsoll Productions)

Narrated by Jeremy Renner (“Avengers,” “Rennervations”)

We might think we are the world's greatest explorers, but we're not. Every day, millions of animals migrate across the planet using routes passed down by generations. INCREDIBLE ANIMAL JOURNEYS puts viewers in the action as they soar, fly and swim from the Antarctic to the African Savanna and the Pacific Ocean to Alaska. Join the protective humpback mom shepherding her newborn calf, tiny dung beetle, monarch butterfly, determined barn swallow who never gives up, and many more species. Using the Earth's magnetic field, stars, moon and ocean currents in the sea and their innate senses on land, these travelers find food, mates, and their way across thousands of miles during their lifetime. Come along for the ride as Jeremy Renner narrates the wildest adventure on earth.

A REAL BUG’S LIFE (Plimsoll Productions)

Narrated by Awkwafina (“The Little Mermaid,” “Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens”)

Inspired by the World of Disney and Pixar's “A Bug's Life,” the new Disney+ Original Series from National Geographic, A REAL BUG’S LIFE, is an incredible adventure into nine different micro bug worlds around the globe, where the forces of nature play out on a miniature scale and where tiny creatures rely on amazing powers and extraordinary alliances to make it through each day. The stakes are high … even if the critters are extraordinarily small. With new developments in filming technology and narrated by fun and witty guide Awkwafina, follow the incredible stories of the tiny heroes living in worlds beyond the imagination — from a jumping spider looking for a home on the streets of New York to a Costa Rican orchid bee’s first day on the job making perfume! Full of mind-blowing new behaviors and larger-than-life characters, this family-friendly series shows that A REAL BUG’S LIFE can be every bit as fantastical as any animated film.   

QUEENS (Wildstar Films)

Narrated by Angela Bassett (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” “The Flood,” “Good Night Oppy”)

The wildest places on the planet have always been home to powerful leaders, but this is a story of a new hero – fierce, smart, resilient and ... female. QUEENS features matriarchies and female leaders around the world to tell a story of sacrifice and resilience but also of friendship and love. These QUEENS aren’t always kind or gentle, letting nothing come between them and the success and safety of their families. Guided by award-winning actress Angela Bassett’s powerful narration, QUEENS brings the natural world into focus through the female lens for the very first time. Four years in the making and helmed by a female-led production team from around the world – groundbreaking in the natural history space – the seven-part series leverages cutting-edge technology to reveal surprising insights into how females in the natural world rise to power, often relying on cooperation and wisdom over brute strength to get ahead. The final episode of the series celebrates the women who have gone to the ends of the Earth and dedicated their lives to documenting and protecting animal queens. We don’t call her Mother Nature for nothing. All hail ... the QUEENS.