Netflix Debuts First Looks and Release Date for New Dinosaur Documentary Series

Netflix is taking us back to the Mesozoic Era. From the legendary Steven Spielberg and the award-winning creators of Life on Our Planet, the streaming giant has officially pulled back the curtain on its next flagship natural history event: THE DINOSAURS.

Positioned as the definitive spiritual successor to 2023’s groundbreaking docuseries, this four-part epic promises to be the most scientifically accurate and visually stunning portrayal of prehistoric life ever put to film. It’s been a long time coming, with the project first announced back in May 2024.

Unlike its predecessor, which spanned billions of years of Earth’s history, this series is a deep dive into a single 150- to 170-million-year dynasty. It will chronicle the entire arc of the “terrible lizards,” from their humble Triassic beginnings to the cataclysmic asteroid that ended their reign. According to an early Netflix synopsis, the series will “tell the story of the rise and fall of the dinosaurs — where they came from, why they mattered, how they evolved and how they met their ultimate fate.”

Netflix has assembled a true natural history “dream team” for this ambitious project, bringing together some of the most legendary names in cinema and documentary filmmaking. Produced by Silverback Films and Amblin Documentaries under the guidance of showrunners Dan Tapster, Keith Scholey, and Alastair Fothergill, the series is executive produced by Steven Spielberg.

This marks the latest collaboration with Netflix for Silverback Films, the production company behind Life on Our Planet and the recently released Secret Lives of Orangutans. Elsewhere, the team has worked on Our Planet for the BBC and Ocean with David Attenborough for National Geographic.

ILM requires little introduction; the visual effects studio is world-renowned for its pioneering work on Jurassic Park (also with Steven Spielberg) and for franchises like Star Wars, Back to the Future, and Ghostbusters—movies that have defined cinema for decades.

Speaking when the series was initially announced, Dan Tapster said: “It is an extraordinary privilege to bring the most iconic creatures in Earth’s history to the screen. This series, covering 170 million years, will immerse viewers in the awe-inspiring world of dinosaurs, capturing the majesty and drama of their lives in unprecedented detail.”

To bring the ancient world to life with photorealism, the production enlisted Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) for visual effects, while Lorne Balfe provides a sweeping, cinematic score. Anchoring the experience is the authoritative narration of Morgan Freeman (The Shawshank Redemption), whose iconic voice guides viewers through a journey directed by Nick Shoolingin-Jordan.

The Dinosaurs. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2026

The Dinosaurs. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2026

The series is intended for families with a TV-PG rating. Are you excited? Let us know in the comments below, and you can add the show to your Netflix Queue using this link.