Netflix lands Blue Planet’s Honeyborne

Netflix is deepening its investment in blue-chip natural history programming by striking a multi-year overall deal with the creator and executive producer of BBC series Blue Planet II.

James Honeyborne

James Honeyborne will produce new nature and science series with his partner Renee Godfrey for the US-based streamer, with all shows going through Honeyborne’s recently launched Freeborne Media.

Freeborne was launched in January by Honeyborne, who has overseen some 35 films during his time as an executive producer at the BBC Natural History Unit in Bristol.

He formed the company with director Godfrey, who trained as an anthropologist and joined the BBC to work on Bruce Parry’s series Tribe, followed by BBC/Discovery Channel series Human Planet.

Honeyborne’s recent BBC work includes Big Blue Live, coproduced with PBS, and Wild New Zealand, with National Geographic. He was also the series producer on the BBC/Discovery Channel series Africa in 2013.

Godfrey trained as an anthropologist before working on the acclaimed series Tribe and Human Planet. Her recent credits include Enchanted Kingdom 3D, Wild Atlantic and Wild New Zealand.

Lisa Nishimura, VP of documentaries and comedy at Netflix, said Honeybourne “has created some of the most captivating natural history series of our time, with breathtaking sweep and vision. I am thrilled that he will be working with us at Netflix, bringing his unique exploration of the wonders of the natural world to our viewers.”

Honeyborne, who had been with the BBC for more than 25 years, added: “Freeborne is excited to be working with Netflix and for the new creative opportunities that will arise from our partnership.

“Today, wildlife and wild places are facing unprecedented challenges. There is a pressing need to tell important, surprising and inspiring stories about our world. Working with Netflix means we can create game-changing documentaries that can reach and engage a huge global audience.”

Netflix has been increasingly ambitious with its factual programming and has made a series of moves to take talent for its service, including hiring natural history icon Sir David Attenborough to front its wildlife show Our Planet.

Attenborough’s involvement was widely seen as the streamer moving further into territory more normally associated with linear broadcasters.