'Our Planet' series, from the team behind 'Planet Earth,' is to premiere on Netflix

BEVERLY HILLS , Calif., April 15 (UPI) -- Our Planet, an eight-part natural history series made by the creators of Planet Earth, is to premiere in 2019, Netflix announced.

The series -- to be shot over four years -- is being produced by Silverback Films, led by Alastair Fothergill and Keith Scholey, who created Planet Earth, Frozen Planet and Blue Planet for the BBC, as well as the Disneynature films Earth, Bears, African Cats and Chimpanzee. The conservation organization WWF is providing the Silverback team unparalleled access to its projects in protected areas around the world and will collaborate on multi-media storytelling across its web and other platforms, the streaming giant said in a news release.

"Netflix is proud to be the global home for perhaps Silverback's most ambitious project to date," Lisa Nishimura, vice president of Netflix Original Documentaries, said in a statement Wednesday. "The Planet projects have enjoyed great success on Netflix and have helped launch new technologies for viewing at home. We think watching Our Planet, fully on demand in 4K will be an unforgettable experience for our members."

"Our Planet is going to raise the bar for natural history landmarks, " added Fothergill, executive producer for Silverback Films. "We will reveal the most amazing sights on Earth and show them in ways they have never been seen before. Partnering with Netflix and WWF gives us the ability to reach and enthuse global audiences with the wonder and importance of the natural world."

"Our Planet will inspire millions of people around the world by showcasing the planet's most precious species and most fragile habitats through a visionary series and cutting-edge multimedia storytelling," said Colin Butfield, executive producer for WWF. "At this critical time for global conservation we are honored to work with Silverback and Netflix on this completely unique collaboration."