(PASADENA, Calif. – Feb. 8, 2024) National Geographic announced today that it has tapped actor Paul Rudd to narrate the third installment of its Emmy-winning “Secrets Of…” franchise, SECRETS OF THE OCTOPUS, which will uncover the secret lives of one of the most alien-like animals on the planet. Paul Rudd follows National Geographic’s star-studded line-up of narrators, including Angela Bassett for QUEENS, an upcoming series on matriarchies in the natural world, Awkwafina for A REAL BUG’S LIFE, and Jeremy Renner for INCREDIBLE ANIMAL JOURNEYS, both streaming now on Disney+ and Hulu.
From executive producer and National Geographic Explorer-at-Large James Cameron, the three-part docu-series follows the success of the Emmy-winningSECRETS OF THE WHALES, narrated by Sigourney Weaver, and most recently Emmy-nominated and Critics Choice Documentary Award-winning SECRETS OF THE ELEPHANTS, narrated by Natalie Portman. Like previous installments, SECRETS OF THE OCTOPUS will premiere in celebration of Earth Day on April 21, and streaming next day on Hulu and Disney+.
Octopuses are like aliens on Earth: three hearts, blue blood, and the ability to squeeze through a space the size of their eyeball. But there is so much more to these weird and wonderful animals. Highly intelligent, octopuses can use tools, transform their bodies to mimic other animals and even communicate with different species, including us. The secrets of the octopus are more extraordinary than ever imagined.
“It’s been an incredible journey learning about these mysterious creatures and their interconnected lives. I can’t imagine audiences won’t be as blown away with the secret lives of octopuses as I was working on this series,” said PAUL RUDD. “If you’re going to dive deep into natural history, you have to do it with National Geographic. I’m thrilled to be working with James Cameron and the Nat Geo team to deepen our connection with the ocean and all of its creatures and curiosities.”
“SECRETS OF THE OCTOPUS immersively takes the audience into the lives of one of the world’s most intelligent and mysterious creatures and features behavior never before captured on film,” said Tom McDonald, executive vice president, Global Factual and Unscripted Content, National Geographic. “It’s a joyful, illuminating series narrated by Paul Rudd with real warmth and humanity.”
Paul Rudd was recently in the third season of Only Murders in the Building and is nominated for a 2024 SAG Award for “Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Comedy Series.” He will next star in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire which will be released by Sony Pictures on March 22, followed by A24’s Death of a Unicorn. He is currently in production on Andrew DeYoung’s Friendship and will next begin production on Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris’ The Invite opposite Amy Adams.
To coincide with the premiere of SECRETS OF THE OCTOPUS, the May issue of National Geographic’s flagship magazine will also explore the series with a closer look into the latest findings about octopus behavior, cognition and social dynamics. Photographed by the iconic David Liittschwager, the visually stunning feature also dives into the challenges of ethical octopus research and shines a light on the fact that the U.S. Animal Welfare Act does not protect the species. The companion book to the highly anticipated special, written by The New York Times bestselling author Sy Montgomery, features vivid National Geographic photography, bringing us closer than ever to these elusive creatures.
Previously announced upcoming installments of the “Secrets Of…” franchise include SECRETS OF THE BEES and SECRETS OF THE PENGUINS, both of which will use the latest camera technology, world-class scientific research, and unprecedented access to unearth the intimate lives of the natural world’s most interesting animals.
SECRETS OF THE OCTOPUS is produced by Earthship, SeaLight Pictures and Wildstar Films. For Earthship, Emmy Award-winners James Cameron and Maria Wilhelm are executive producers. For SeaLight Pictures, Adam Geiger and Colette Beaudry are executive producers. For Wildstar Films, Anwar Mamon is executive producer. For National Geographic, Pam Caragol is executive producer, and Tom McDonald is executive vice president of Global Factual and Unscripted Content.
