Documentary fans who want hope instead of doom-scroll nature reels have a clear next watch. How to Live on Earth, presented by Benedict Cumberbatch, is in select cinemas from June 26, 2026, with a global YouTube release later this year.
Official trailer
Open Planet Studios frames it as a how-to film: stories from around the world about working with nature, not against it. Fredi Devas directs (Planet Earth II and III, Seven Worlds, One Planet). Jonnie Hughes co-produces. Runtime on the official site is 96 minutes.
Release path and who is in it
Theatrical windows started 26 June 2026 via select cinemas. The free global YouTube drop is still listed as later in 2026, so the cinema run is the near-term ticket move. Screening dates live on howtoliveonearth.net/screenings.
The film's own site highlights contributors including climate activist Xiye Bastida, field biologist and filmmaker Dan O'Neill, and former White House nutrition advisor Sam Kass. Music credits include a main theme by Hans Zimmer and Jacob Shea, with score by Shea and Ho-Ling Tang.
Through a series of revelatory and unexpected stories - brought together by host Benedict Cumberbatch - we wanted audiences to discover that a future in which humankind works with nature, rather than against it, may not be far away.
Jonnie Hughes, executive producer and co-founder of Open Planet Studios, on the official film site.
What to do next
If a screening is near you, book through the official screenings page. If you are waiting for the free global upload, subscribe to the Open Planet YouTube channel so the later-this-year drop does not sneak past. Full credits and resources sit at howtoliveonearth.net.
Follow the How to Live on Earth hub for the YouTube launch update, or browse more movies coverage.