Darren Aronofsky Filming Series in Space for Nat Geo (Exclusive)

National Geographic Channel’s brand elevation continues.

The network is moving forward with ambitious event series One Strange Rock, from powerhouse producers Darren Aronofsky and Nutopia’s Jane Root. The project is poised to film for 100 weeks around the world and in outer space, using micro- and macro-photography technology and bringing cameras where they’ve never been before.

“We’re going to transport viewers on a mind-bending and thrilling visual adventure that will amaze and surprise,” said National Geographic Global Networks CEO Courteney Monroe, with Aronofsky adding: “One Strange Rock explores how intricate, interwoven and fragile life as we know it is on Earth and how rare it may be in the universe. The more we appreciate how awe-inspiring the development of life on this planet has been, the more likely we are to become inspired stewards of the home that sustains it.”

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Joining the duo as exec producers are Ari Handel and Scott Franklin of Aronofsky’s Protozoa Picture and Nutopia’s Arif Nurmohamed (How to Build a Planet) and Peter Lovering (The 90s: The Last Great Decade) of Nutopia Pictures. Rock is currently in pre-production, and was first announced as a development project in The Hollywood Reporter in early December.

The project is part of an evolving strategy at Nat Geo, which is a major growth priority for new 21st Century Fox CEOs James and Lachlan Murdoch. Monroe first outlined her plans in a recent interview with THR, revealing how her focus now will be on bigger budgets, higher production quality and name talent behind the camera. Other recent examples include scripted effort Saints & Strangers as well as upcoming series Last Men Out from Tom Fontana and Barry Levinson and In Harm’s Way from Mark Gordon. 

Though the majority of the channel’s output will remain unscripted, Monroe is looking to amp up its scripted fare, too. In December, she tapped Shine’s Carolyn Bernstein as Nat Geo’s scripted chief.