With Earth Day 2018 celebrations happening all around the globe, Disney is celebrating in its own way, by releasing the first trailer and announcing the release date for its new DisneyNature film, Penguins. Disney has announced an April 19, 2019 release date for Penguins, which arrives just three days before Earth Day 2019, with the film actually landing in quite the crowded weekend. This will be the eighth feature film released under the Disneynature banner, which was launched a decade ago in April 2008
Disneynature's all-new feature film Penguins is a coming-of-age story about an Adélie penguin named Steve, who joins millions of fellow males in the icy Antarctic spring on a quest to build a suitable nest, find a life partner and start a family. None of it comes easily for him, especially considering he's targeted by everything from killer whales to leopard seals, who unapologetically threaten his happily ever after. From the filmmaking team behind Bears and Chimpanzee, Disneynature's Penguins opens in theaters nationwide in time for Earth Day 2019.
Penguins will follow previous DisneyNature films such as Earth, Oceans, African Cats, Chimpanzee, Bears, Monkey Kingdom and Born in China. There was another DisneyNature movie entitled Dolphins that was originally set for release this weekend, but there are currently no release plans for Dolphins at this time. The film is directed by Alastair Fothergill and Keith Scholey, and there is no indication yet as to when this DisneyNature film may be released in theaters. While none of the DisneyNature movies are massive hits at the box office, they all help highlight important issues.
Disneynature launched in April 2008. Its mission is to bring the world's top nature filmmakers together to share a wide variety of wildlife stories on the big screen in order to engage, inspire and educate theatrical audiences everywhere. Walt Disney was a pioneer in wildlife filmmaking, producing 13 True-Life Adventure motion pictures between 1948 and 1960, which earned eight Academy Awards. Disneynature's first seven films, Earth, Oceans, African Cats, Chimpanzee, Bears, Monkey Kingdom and Born in China, are seven of the top eight highest grossing feature-length nature films to date, with Chimpanzee garnering a record-breaking opening weekend for the genre. Disneynature's commitment to conservation is a key pillar of the label and the films empower the audience to help make a difference, with each film driving significant conservation outcomes, supporting wildlife featured in the films.
It hasn't been announced yet who wrote and directed Disneynature's Penguins, but it's possible that Alastair Fothergill is involved, since he directed five of the seven films thus far, Earth, African Cats, Chimpanzee, Bears and Monkey Kingdom. Penguins is now part of what is shaping up to be one of the busiest box office weekends of 2019, with five new films opening in wide release on April 19, 2019, including Paramount's Pet Sematary remake, Global Road's Playmobil, 20th Century Fox's Spies in Disguise and an untitled horror film from New Line Cinema. Take a look at the trailer below, courtesy of Disney Movie Trailers YouTube, as we wait for more details on Penguins.