Shark Week to return with Dwayne Johnson as host

July 12 (UPI) -- Shark Week will return for its 34th year in July.

The annual programming event kicks off July 24 at 8 p.m. EDT on Discovery Channel.

Dwayne Johnson will serve as the first Master of Ceremonies. Special guests also include Tracy Morgan and the casts of Impractical Jokers and Jackass.

This year's Shark Week will feature 25 original hours of never-before-seen footage of walking sharks, awe-inspiring breaches and more shocking predations captured on camera by dedicated science and research field teams.

The programming event will take audiences to new locations, from Exuma Islands in the Bahamas to Papua New Guinea, and highlight innovative shark technology to further research about the elusive creatures.

"I'm honored to be your first-ever Shark Week Master of Ceremonies," Johnson said on Instagram. "I filmed exclusively in my home state of Hawaii, these beautiful predators, Aumakua (Gods), are deeply revered and respected in our Polynesian culture."

Johnson will end the first five nights of programming with a special message that connects viewers to his heritage and the importance of sharks for his culture and personal story.

TBS, TNT, truTV, Food Network, HGTV, CNN, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Animal Planet, Science Channel, ID, OWN, TCM, Discovery+ and HBO Max will air Shark Week-inspired content or cross-promote the event.