National Geographic and Technology Teams at Disney Collaborate To Transport Users to the Spectacular Thingvellir National Park in Iceland
Additional 3D Films To Arrive on Disney+ on Apple Vision ProInclude ‘Avengers’ and ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’
(Washington, D.C. – Aug. 5, 2024) Beginning today, Disney+ subscribers will be able to access a new immersive environment from National Geographic with the Disney+ app on Apple Vision Pro, which will transport users to the breathtaking natural beauty of Iceland’s Thingvellir National Park. The new Disney+ environment marks National Geographic’s first-ever immersive project for Apple Vision Pro.
Disney+ is also making four additional 3D films from Marvel Studios available to subscribers today: “Avengers,” “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Ant-Man”* and “Ant-Man and the Wasp.”
The new National Geographic environment will transport Disney+ subscribers on Apple Vision Pro to the unique rocky terrain of Thingvellir National Park on a snowy winter day, allowing them to explore their surroundings via interactive elements and sounds that make the space come to life. This UNESCO world heritage site, captured by a team of National Geographic photographers, serves as the backdrop for viewers watching Disney+ content beneath a spectacular nighttime aurora.
“Since its inception, National Geographic has been at the forefront of photography and has led the way in using groundbreaking technology to tell stories that inspire a deeper connection to the natural world,” said David Miller, EVP, National Geographic. “Creating this immersive environment was a natural next step for us to take to build on that legacy and to continue enabling audiences to experience the beauty of our natural world and see places they may never go to otherwise.”
National Geographic worked with Disney Studio Technology to lead the creative development and production of the immersive environment from high-resolution 3D models captured on-site using photogrammetry and gigapixel panoramas. The teams worked in collaboration with Disney Entertainment and ESPN Technology to bring this new experience to Disney+.
The foremost leader in visual storytelling, National Geographic has a rich legacy of being at the forefront of innovation, from being the first to capture a color photograph underwater to being an early adopter of Instagram and the most-followed brand on the platform with 282 million followers. For decades, National Geographic has led the way for audiences worldwide, taking them to the farthest corners of the world.
For more information on Disney+ on Apple Vision Pro, visit disneyplus.com/applevisionpro.
*Available exclusively to Disney+ subscribers
Media Contacts:
Anna Kukelhaus - Director, Communications - National Geographic
Anna.Kukelhaus@natgeo.com
202.258.8020
Kristie Adler - Director, Communications - Disney Entertainment & ESPN Technology
Kristie.Adler@disney.com
646.547.5637
# # #
About Disney+
Disney+ is the dedicated streaming home for movies and shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic, along with The Simpsons and much more. In select international markets, it also includes the general entertainment content brand, Star, and in the U.S., Disney Bundle subscribers can also access extensive Hulu content, including next-day TV and Hulu Original titles, on Disney+. The flagship direct-to-consumer streaming service from The Walt Disney Company, Disney+ offers an ever-growing collection of exclusive originals, including feature-length films, documentaries, live-action and animated series, and short-form content. With unprecedented access to Disney’s long history of incredible film and television entertainment, Disney+ is also the exclusive streaming home for the newest releases from The Walt Disney Studios. Disney+ is available as a standalone streaming service, as part of the Disney Bundle in the U.S. that gives subscribers access to Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+, or as part of Combo+ in Latin America with Star+, the standalone general entertainment and sports streaming service in the region. For more, visit disneyplus.com, or find the Disney+ app on most mobile and connected TV devices.
About National Geographic Content
Award-winning and critically acclaimed National Geographic Content, part of a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and the National Geographic Society, creates and delivers riveting stories and experiences in natural history, science, adventure and exploration. The brand is the largest on social media with over three-quarters of a billion followers across all major platforms that generate over one billion impressions each month. Inspiring a deeper connection to the world, National Geographic Content reaches 300 million people worldwide in 180 countries and 33 languages as a digital, social and print publisher and across the global National Geographic channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO), National Geographic Documentary Films, and direct-to-consumer platforms Disney+ and Hulu. Its diverse content includes Emmy® Award-winning franchise Genius, series Life Below Zero and Secrets of the Whales, and Oscar®- and BAFTA award-winning film Free Solo. For more information, visit natgeotv.com or nationalgeographic.com, or follow Nat Geo on Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.