Deep Into This Summer's 8th Annual SHARKFEST Season, National Geographic Greenlights SHARKFEST 2021 Premier Special, "Shark Beach" (WT), Featuring Global Movie Star, Surfer and Environmentalist Chris Hemsworth

Uncovering Incredible Science of Shark Behavior, the One-hour Special Pairs Hemsworth with Marine Biologists, Surfers and Diving Experts to Discover How Humans and Sharks Can Safely Coexist

Global Special, Produced by Nutopia, to Premiere on the Networks Of National Geographic Summer 2021

LOS ANGELES -- More than three weeks into its 8th annual, biggest and boldest SHARKFEST ever, National Geographic sinks its teeth into next summer's SHARKFEST headliner with the announcement of Shark Beach (WT), featuring global movie star Chris Hemsworth (Thor, The Avengers).

Hemsworth, an enthusiastic surfer and renowned environmentalist, is fascinated by the ocean's top predators for their incredible magnificence and mystery, but he's equally perplexed by the dangers they pose when humans venture into shark territory. In Shark Beach, produced by award-winning Nutopia (The World According to Jeff Goldblum, One Strange Rock), Hemsworth embarks on a once-in-a-lifetime mission to investigate the measures put in place to safeguard our co-existence and to uncover the complicated truth behind the alarming increase in shark attacks in Australia.

Joined by the world's preeminent shark experts - including surfers, conservationists, shark advocates and marine biologists - Hemsworth begins his journey in his own backyard, Byron Bay, Australia. Here, he uncovers the reasons for increased shark attacks so close to home in recent years. Hemsworth joins local biologists to explore how existing preventative measures work to stave off shark-human encounters and dives with different species of sharks to understand their behaviors and power. He also uncovers the latest breakthroughs in shark science technology designed to protect both sharks and humans. Hemsworth's mission to understand sharks is more than a journey; he's searching for the answers to help pave the way to living more harmoniously among sharks.

"I've spent a great deal of my life near or in the ocean, sharing the same backyard with sharks, and recently there's been some growing concern regarding an increase in shark activity," says Hemsworth. "It's crucial that we both revere and respect sharks. Our oceans depend on these apex predators for a biodiverse ecosystem; however, we must also learn how to protect ourselves, and that's my main objective in Shark Beach."

"SHARKFEST has become the port of call for A-list scientists and filmmakers who share our passion for sharks and the health of the planet's oceans. In success, we're also drawing in celebrity thought leaders who have the power to raise awareness and impact behavior through their incredible social platforms," says Geoff Daniels, executive vice president of global unscripted entertainment at National Geographic. "That's why I couldn't be more excited about Shark Beach and our latest collaboration with Chris Hemsworth. He's a fearless defender of nature with a proven commitment to conservation and has an unrivaled willingness to do whatever it takes to help protect sharks for generations to come."

"Continuing to build on Nutopia's relationship with A-list talent like Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum and now Chris Hemsworth, Shark Beach is a fantastic opportunity to explore the tricky relationship between humans and sharks," says Jane Root, Nutopia CEO and founder. "As someone interested in conservation, Hemsworth has a deep admiration for these creatures and knows how dangerous sharks can be for swimmers and surfers. We are excited to partner with him to further explore ways both can live together safely," said Nutopia CEO and founder Jane Root.

Already pacing 10 percent ahead of last year's event, SHARKFEST is the ultimate destination for factual shark content and the legions of fans who are mystified by them. Currently in its third consecutive week on National Geographic, SHARKFEST continues on Nat Geo WILD for two more weeks, beginning Sunday, August 9.

Shark Beach, a marquee special for SHARKFEST 2021, is produced for National Geographic and Nat Geo WILD by Nutopia. Chris Hemsworth and Ben Grayson are executive producers. For Nutopia, Jane Root, Arif Nurmohamed and Mark Hedgecoe are executive producers. For National Geographic, Tracy Rudolph Jackson is executive producer, and Geoff Daniels is executive vice president, global unscripted entertainment.

About Nutopia

Nutopia is known for creating award winning, factual series on a global scale, and a new genre of television, the "megadoc," which combines epic cinematography and action-driven drama with high-end documentary and A-list talent. Nutopia's recent critical successes include "Babies" for Netflix, which explores a decade of ground-breaking science that reveals the emotional and astounding story of a baby's first year of life; Emmy-nominated series "The World According to Jeff Goldblum," one of the series to launch Disney+ and has been renewed for second season; "The Last Czars" for Netflix, a lavish drama-doc about the last days of the Romanovs; "One Strange Rock" for National Geographic, a multi award-winning collaboration with director Darren Aronofsky; and "Unmasking Jihadi John: Anatomy of a Terrorist" for Channel 4 and HBO. Nutopia currently has projects in development with Disney+, History and Amazon.

About National Geographic Partners LLC (NGP)

National Geographic Partners LLC (NGP), a joint venture between Disney and the National Geographic Society, is committed to bringing the world premium science, adventure and exploration content across an unrivaled portfolio of media assets. NGP combines the global National Geographic television channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO, Nat Geo PEOPLE) with National Geographic's media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; children's media; and ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, licensing and e-commerce businesses. Furthering knowledge and understanding of our world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 132 years, and now we are committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for our consumers ... and reaching millions of people around the world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month as we do it. NGP returns 27 percent of our proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, storytelling and education. For more information visit natgeotv.com or nationalgeographic.com, or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest.