National Geographic Announces Major Cross-Platform Initiatives to Mark 100th Anniversary of the Sinking of the Titanic

National Geographic's Flagship Magazine to Feature April 2012 Titanic Cover Story with Personal Essay by James Cameron

Additional Extensions Include Major Digital Hub, Interactive, Books, Home Entertainment, Lectures, Maps and Kids' Products

WASHINGTON, Dec. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Geographic Society and National Geographic Channel today announced a major cross-platform initiative to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, to take place in April 2012.

At the centerpiece of the plans are two world premiere films featuring National Geographic Explorers-in-Residence Robert Ballard and James Cameron and the April 2012 cover story of National Geographic magazine, the first magazine to fully chronicle Ballad's 1985 discovery of the wreck.

Titanic: The Final Word with James Cameron assembles the world's leading experts on the Titanic for the ultimate forensic investigation into the science behind what sank the unsinkable ship on her maiden voyage.  And in Save the Titanic with Bob Ballard, the iconic explorer who discovered the Titanic retraces the steps of the people who set sail on that fateful journey and renews his quest to protect the legacy and the graveyard of the Titanic for another 100 years.

"National Geographic is the only institution in the world with the resources to fully honor this important anniversary," said Tim Kelly, president of the National Geographic Society.  "We are using every tool at our disposal to produce and distribute content that we know our audiences want.  I am particularly excited that our newest Explorer-in-Residence, James Cameron, and our veteran Dr. Bob Ballard both have important projects that will be part of this initiative."

Cameron's epic 1997 film "Titanic" won 11 Oscars and grossed well over a billion dollars worldwide.  Now, NGC joins the director and Explorer-in-Residence, along with some of the world's foremost Titanic experts, for the ultimate forensic investigation into the most infamous shipwreck of all time in Titanic: The Final Word with James Cameron.  Cameron, who has made more than 30 dives to explore the Titanic, brings together a team of engineers, naval architects, artists and historians to solve the lingering mysteries of why and how an "unsinkable" ship sank.  The team of experts not only applies its expertise to some of the lingering unanswered questions behind the disaster, but also examines the feature film and determines what technology has revealed since the film was released in 1997.  An investigation of this magnitude has never been attempted before, and some of the revelations may alter the fundamental interpretation of what exactly happened to the Titanic on April 14, 1912. 

Ballard has been living and breathing the Titanic since he was part of the team that discovered her in 1985.  In Save the Titanic with Bob Ballard, he revisits the iconic ship in an entirely different way — from the perspective of those who set sail on her some 100 years ago.  Ballard travels to the shipyards of Northern Ireland to retrace the path of the doomed ship from her very incarnation.  Throughout his journey, Ballard is driven by one personal question — will the Titanic survive another 100 years?  As evidence mounts that the ship is under siege by natural forces, careless visitors and even rogue salvage operators, the man who found her teams with the families of victims and survivors to protect the legacy of history's most famous ship.

"National Geographic Channel is in the unique position of being the only network in the world fortunate enough to partner with arguably the two most respected authorities on the Titanic — the man who found her and has dedicated many years of his distinguished career to protecting her, and the man who, along with transforming the disaster into a Hollywood blockbuster, has also made more than 30 trips to the bottom of the ocean to study her," said Michael Cascio, executive vice president of programming, National Geographic Channel.  "I have no doubt that these films will go down as the definitive documentaries on the subject."

The films, both still in production, will premiere globally in 380 million homes, 165 countries and 38 languages in April 2012. 

National Geographic's flagship magazine will also return to the topic of Titanic in an April 2012 cover story that will illustrate the wreck with one-of-a-kind visuals from the most recent expedition to the site.  Also included will be a personal essay by Cameron, reliving the night of the tragedy through the lens of his ROV's camera.

In addition to the two films and magazine cover story, the event will touch almost every National Geographic media platform in spring 2012. 

Additional cross-platform initiatives:

• National Geographic Digital Media
• National Geographic Books
• National Geographic Interactive Publishing
• National Geographic Home Entertainment
• National Geographic Kids Magazine
• National Geographic Kids Books
• National Geographic Games
• National Geographic Live
• National Geographic Maps

SOURCE National Geographic

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