Wildstar Films

What Wildstar Films does

Wildstar Films is an independent natural history production company headquartered in Bristol, United Kingdom, founded in 2018 by Mark Linfield and Vanessa Berlowitz. The company produces premium documentary and natural history content for cinema, television, and streaming platforms, with its slate distributed through Disney+, Disneynature, National Geographic, BBC, and Netflix. Its portfolio spans Disneynature theatrical feature films (Tiger, Elephant, Tigers on the Rise), original streaming series (America The Beautiful, Queens, Secrets of the Octopus, Underdogs, Animals Up Close, Epic Adventures with Bertie Gregory, America's National Parks), and work in production including Sentient with Darren Aronofsky's Protozoa Pictures and Underdogs with Ryan Reynolds' Maximum Effort.

Wildstar's production capability rests on a combination of senior creative talent drawn from the BBC Natural History Unit and Disneynature, and proprietary capture techniques including jet photography (a Broadcast Tech Awards winner), drone cinematography, and underwater filming. Major productions are multi-year undertakings, exemplified by the 1,500-day shoot behind Disneynature's Tiger. The company operates as a subsidiary of Fremantle, one of the largest global TV content producers and distributors, which provides distribution scale and PR infrastructure.

The business model is B2B content commissioning: Wildstar develops and pitches documentary and natural history formats to broadcasters and streamers, generating revenue through production fees and licensing rights negotiated directly with commissioning partners. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is negotiated on a per-production basis. The customer base is concentrated among a small number of enterprise commissioning partners led by the Disney / National Geographic ecosystem, with BBC as a secondary regional partner and Netflix referenced as a delivery platform. Wildstar has won multiple Emmy, BAFTA, RTS, Jackson Wild, Wildscreen Panda and Broadcast awards and has been recognised as a Top 10 Broadcast Best Place to Work in TV.

Name

Wildstar Films

Legal name

Wildstar Films Limited

Website

https://wildstar.tv

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Wildstar Films is a Bristol-based independent natural history production company founded in 2018, producing premium documentary series and feature films for Disney+, Disneynature, National Geographic, BBC and Netflix, and operating as a subsidiary of Fremantle.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Documentary Production

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822)

akta.pro primary industry

Finished Program Sales & Window Licensing (Domestic/International) (MPABANAB)

Keywords

• Natural history production
• Documentary filmmaking
• Wildlife programming
• Television production
• Content commissioning

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristol

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Content Production and Licensing: Wildstar Films produces documentary and natural history content for commissioning broadcasters and streaming platforms. Revenue is generated through production fees, licensing rights, and potentially backend participation. The company creates content across multiple formats including feature films (Disneynature), television series, and streaming content for Disney+, National Geographic, BBC, and Netflix.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Wildstar Films is an independent production company that creates premium natural history documentary content for cinema, television, and streaming platforms. They develop and produce feature films (Disneynature theatrical releases) and original series commissioned by major partners including Disney+, National Geographic, BBC, and Netflix, with a focus on innovative visual storytelling and fresh perspectives in wildlife filmmaking.

Product overview

Wildstar Films is an independent natural history production company creating ground-breaking, award-winning documentary content for cinema, television, and streaming platforms. Their portfolio includes feature-length Disneynature films (Tiger, Elephant, Tigers on the Rise), original streaming series for Disney+ and National Geographic (Underdogs, Queens, America The Beautiful, Epic Adventures, Animals Up Close, Secrets of the Octopus), and theatrical releases. Content is distributed through partnerships with Disney/National Geographic, BBC, and streaming platforms. The company also has Sentient in production with Darren Aronofsky's Protozoa Pictures.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tiger Disneynature theatrical film following Ambar, a young tigress raising her cubs in India's forests, filmed over 1,500 days and narrated by Priyanka Chopra Jonas. Produced for cinema release.
• Elephant Disneynature theatrical film following African elephant Shani and her son Jomo on an epic migration across the Kalahari Desert from Okavango delta to Zambezi River.
• Tigers on the Rise Disneynature documentary celebrating the remarkable comeback of tigers in India, featuring vets, scientists, and community patrols. Narrated by Blair Underwood. Produced for Disney+ release.
• America The Beautiful Six-part documentary series narrated by Michael B. Jordan, showcasing North America's diverse landscapes and wildlife from the Northwest to the Heartland. Produced for Disney+/National Geographic.
• America's National Parks Documentary series narrated by Garth Brooks showcasing America's National Parks and the wildlife within them. Produced for Disney+/National Geographic.
• America's National Parks Season 2 Second season of the documentary series showcasing America's National Parks, produced for Disney+/National Geographic.
• Epic Adventures with Bertie Gregory Disney+ original series following National Geographic Explorer Bertie Gregory on epic real-life animal stories, including Antarctic whales and buffalo-hunting lions in Zambia.
• Animals Up Close with Bertie Gregory Series following National Geographic Explorer Bertie Gregory capturing extraordinary animal stories using drones, underwater tech, and state-of-the-art cameras in remote environments. Produced for Disney+/National Geographic.
• Queens Documentary series exploring queendoms ruled by powerful female leaders in the animal kingdom across six remote locations worldwide. Produced for National Geographic.
• Secrets of the Octopus Disney+ original documentary series narrated by Paul Rudd exploring octopus intelligence, shapeshifting abilities, and complex social lives.
• Underdogs Comedic documentary series narrated and hosted by Ryan Reynolds showcasing overlooked animals of the natural world with unexpected superpowers and behaviors. Streams on Disney+ and Nat Geo Wild, produced in joint venture with Ryan Reynolds' Maximum Effort.
• Sentient Feature-length documentary series in production with Darren Aronofsky's Protozoa Pictures for National Geographic/Disney+, revealing new science about consciousness and intelligence in animals and plants.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple industry awards including Broadcast Awards, Realscreen Awards, Jackson Wild Awards
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• FremantlecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFremantle is referenced as the parent company and handles press and media enquiries for Wildstar Films through their PR and Communications office ([email protected]). Wildstar Films is described as one of the largest creators, producers and distributors of television brands in the world.
• Darren Aronofsky's Protozoa PicturesflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerWildstar has teamed up with Darren Aronofsky's Protozoa to produce 'Sentient', a major landmark series for National Geographic/Disney+. The partnership brings a fresh and innovative approach to premium natural history storytelling.
• Ryan Reynolds' Maximum EffortflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerWildstar is producing 'Underdogs' in joint venture with Ryan Reynolds' company Maximum Effort. The series aims to appeal to new audiences by taking an unconventional approach to wildlife filmmaking with Ryan Reynolds providing unique comedic commentary.
• National GeographiccoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational Geographic is a major commissioning partner for Wildstar content. Wildstar has produced multiple series for National Geographic and Disney+ including America The Beautiful, America's National Parks, Epic Adventures with Bertie Gregory, and Animals Up Close.
• Disney+ / DisneynaturecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDisney+ and Disneynature are primary distribution partners. Wildstar has produced feature films including 'Tiger', 'Elephant', 'Tigers on the Rise' for Disneynature and multiple series for Disney+.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Silverback Films: UK natural history production company founded by former BBC NHU head Alastair Fothergill; produces premium wildlife content for Netflix (Our Planet, David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet) and other streamers. Closest direct competitor to Wildstar in scale, premium positioning, and streamer-focused output.
• Plimsoll Productions: Bristol-based premium natural history and factual production company founded by former BBC NHU executive. Produces tentpole series for major global streamers and is a direct UK indie competitor to Wildstar in the same commissioning landscape.
• Offspring Films: UK independent natural history production company founded by former BBC NHU producers; produces premium wildlife series for global broadcasters. Direct competitor with comparable scale, talent pedigree, and Bristol-based operations.
• Red Rock Films: Independent production company focused on premium natural history and wildlife documentaries for international broadcasters including National Geographic and BBC. Comparable indie competitor in the same commissioning ecosystem.
• Icon Films: Bristol-based independent production company producing natural history and factual content for international broadcasters. UK indie competitor with overlapping commissioner relationships and similar production scale.

Broad incumbents

• BBC Studios Natural History Unit: Industry-leading in-house natural history unit of BBC Studios producing landmark franchises (Planet Earth, Frozen Planet, Dynasties). Acts both as a Wildstar competitor and indirect feeder of talent (many Wildstar senior team members originated here).
• Wildstar Films parent: Fremantle: One of the world's largest creators, producers and distributors of television brands; parent company of Wildstar Films. Provides global distribution infrastructure and acts as both parent and adjacent peer through its broader factual and entertainment portfolio.
• Disneynature: Disney's in-house theatrical natural history film label that commissions Wildstar for feature-length productions (Tiger, Elephant, Tigers on the Rise). Functions as both a key Wildstar customer and an incumbent competitor with first-party production capabilities.
• National Geographic Studios: In-house production arm of National Geographic, one of Wildstar's largest commissioning partners. Produces premium natural history content directly while also commissioning Wildstar for series like America The Beautiful and Epic Adventures with Bertie Gregory.

Regional players

• NHNZ: New Zealand-based natural history production company producing premium wildlife and factual content for global broadcasters. Comparable in genre and production style, with regional (Asia-Pacific) production base serving Wildstar's same international commissioners.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WildstarFilms
• Facebookfacebook.com/WildstarFilms
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wildstar-films-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wildstar Films