From Sobey Road Entertainment, The Roots Production Service and Skellig Rock, Inc., GHOST ELEPHANTS Will Air on National Geographic Wild and Stream on Disney+ in South Africa

Johannesburg, 3 March 2026: National Geographic Documentary Films has launched the trailer for the feature-length documentary GHOST ELEPHANTS, directed, written and narrated by Werner Herzog (“Grizzly Man”) and produced by Ariel León Isacovitch and Herzog. Airing on National Geographic Wild (DStv 182, Startimes 221) on Wednesday 11 March at 6 PM (CAT) and streaming on Disney+ in South Africa, the film follows South African National Geographic Explorer Steve Boyes on an epic journey as he sets out with some of the last remaining master trackers in the world in pursuit of an animal long believed to be a myth.

In the mist-covered highlands of Angola, deep within its forests, a mystery endures: the elusive ghost elephants of Lisima, the potential living descendants of the largest land mammal ever recorded. Steve Boyes, conservation biologist and leader of the National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project, is determined to prove their existence.

In order to find these elusive elephants, Boyes and fellow National Geographic Explorer Kerllen Costa have teamed up with three KhoiSan master trackers – Xui, Xui Dawid, and Kobus – to succeed where advanced technology could not.

Directed, narrated and written by legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog, GHOST ELEPHANTS is a lyrical tale of survival, reconnection and the enduring power of ancient knowledge in the face of modern loss. The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where Herzog received the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement.

Complementing the film is the coffee table book “Okavango and the Source of Life” by Steve Boyes, releasing in tandem with the documentary. The book expands the journey beyond the screen, featuring more than 100 striking photographs, detailed maps, and Boyes’ personal reflections from years of grueling expeditions to the Angolan headwaters of the Okavango. It documents the same remaining waterways, communities and fragile ecosystems explored in the film, conveying the physical and emotional toll of navigating a wilderness long closed off by war. With a foreword by Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex and portraits of local traditional knowledge keepers, the book offers an intimate and visually rich companion to the cinematic experience. “Okavango and the Source of Life” is available for preorder now.

GHOST ELEPHANTS is directed, narrated and written by Herzog. It is produced by Herzog for Skellig Rock, Inc. and Ariel León Isacovitch for The Roots Production Service. Sobey Road Entertainment is the producing partner with Brian Nugent, Andrew Trapani, Emerson G. Farrel, David Sze, David B. Kirk, Terrence Battle, Richard Sneider, Christopher White and Casey Graf as executive producers. For National Geographic Documentary Films, Carolyn Bernstein, executive vice president of Documentary Films, and Tim Horsburgh, vice president of Documentary Films, are executive producers. For more info, visit www.ghostelephants.com.

Follow the journey of Angola’s elusive Ghost Elephants and join the conversation on wildlife conservation with NatGeo Africa and Disney+ ZA across Instagram, Facebook, and X:

• Instagram: @NatGeo_Africa | @DisneyPlusZA
• Facebook: National Geographic Africa | DisneyPlusZA
• X: @NatGeoAfrica | @DisneyPlusZA

Engage with exclusive updates, stunning visuals, and behind-the-scenes insights from the Ghost Elephants expedition.

The post Steve Boyes Leads Expedition to Discover Angola’s Ghost Elephants appeared first on Alt News Network.

National Geographic commemorates 50 years of the blockbuster film Jaws with JAWS @ 50: THE DEFINITIVE INSIDE STORY, the only authorized documentary endorsed by Steven Spielberg. Airing 13 July on National Geographic and Disney+ in South Africa, this 90-minute documentary offers never-before-seen footage, personal insights from Spielberg, and interviews with an all-star lineup including J.J. Abrams, George Lucas, Jordan Peele, Guillermo del Toro, and Jaws’ original cast and crew.

Produced in collaboration with Amblin Documentaries, Nedland Films, and Wendy Benchley, this deep dive revisits the high-stakes production, cultural phenomenon, and enduring legacy of a film that redefined Hollywood and reshaped humanity’s relationship with sharks. It unpacks the so-called “Jaws Effect,” balancing the narrative from fear to fascination, highlighting modern shark conservation efforts and pop culture influence.

Director Laurent Bouzereau crafts a definitive retrospective, featuring rare footage from Spielberg’s archives and heartfelt commentary from Peter Benchley’s family and global marine advocates. This is more than a behind-the-scenes — it’s a cultural reckoning and a cinematic love letter to the film that made us afraid to go back in the water.

JAWS @ 50 isn’t just a documentary. It’s a reaffirmation of the power of film, the resilience of the creative process, and the unexpected ways one movie can alter both culture and conservation for half a century.

Premieres 13 July at 21:00 (CAT) on National Geographic (DStv 181, StarTimes 220)
Repeats 26 July at 18:00 on National Geographic Wild (DStv 182, StarTimes 221)
Also streaming on Disney+ South Africa.

The post National Geographic Releases Jaws @ 50 With Exclusive Interviews appeared first on Alt News Network.