A new documentary narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch is heading to YouTube this month, bringing together scientists, environmental voices and other contributors for a film focused on humanity’s relationship with the natural world.
“How to Live on Earth,” produced by Open Planet Studios, will premiere globally on YouTube on September 20. The release marks the next major stage for a documentary that has already had theatrical screenings and international festival-related appearances.
The film is presented from London’s Natural History Museum and explores how people can work alongside nature while building a safer and more sustainable future.
When will ‘How to Live on Earth’ be released?
The documentary will be available on YouTube beginning September 20.
That date is particularly significant because the film will also receive a special screening and question-and-answer session in New York on the same day as part of the Climate Film Festival, with the event helping launch New York Climate Week.
Before its online premiere, How to Live on Earth has been traveling through a series of regional screenings.
The documentary previously held its world premiere on June 22 at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square in London, followed by a UK theatrical release on June 26.
Additional premieres and screenings have been scheduled across countries including Switzerland, Australia, Ecuador, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Singapore, New Zealand and the United States.
What is Benedict Cumberbatch’s documentary about?
Rather than focusing on a single environmental issue, How to Live on Earth brings together different contributors to examine the broader relationship between people and the planet.
The documentary is structured around contributions from individuals working across environmental activism, wildlife and food policy.
Among those featured are climate justice activist Xiye Bastida, field biologist and wildlife filmmaker Dan O’Neill, and Sam Kass, a former White House chef and senior policy adviser on nutrition.
Their different areas of expertise give the project a wider scope, connecting environmental questions with wildlife, food and the way societies interact with the natural world.
Cumberbatch’s role as narrator adds a recognizable voice to the project while the documentary itself is built around contributions from a broader group of environmental and cultural voices.
The film is aiming for more than a one-day premiere
One of the more notable parts of the release strategy is that Open Planet is not treating the YouTube premiere simply as a conventional digital launch.
The September release will be supported by a global impact campaign involving NGOs, United Nations agencies and educational institutions.
According to executive producer and Open Planet co-founder Jonnie Hughes, the goal is to use the film as a starting point for a larger discussion about humanity’s connection with nature.
That gives the documentary an additional dimension beyond its theatrical and online distribution: the project is being positioned as a tool for wider environmental conversations and engagement.
Imogen Heap adds an original song to the YouTube premiere
The September 20 launch will also introduce a new piece of music connected to the documentary.
Singer-songwriter Imogen Heap has written, produced and performed “Chapter 4,” an original end-credit track that will debut alongside the film’s YouTube premiere.
The song adds another creative element to a project that combines documentary filmmaking with environmental advocacy.
Who appears in ‘How to Live on Earth’?
The documentary’s contributors include:
- Xiye Bastida — climate justice activist
- Dan O’Neill — field biologist, wildlife filmmaker and explorer
- Sam Kass — former White House chef and senior policy adviser on nutrition
The film is narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch and comes from Open Planet Studios.
Its presentation from the Natural History Museum in London also connects the project to a setting strongly associated with science, wildlife and the natural world.
Why September 20 matters for the documentary
The September 20 release brings several parts of the project together at once.
Audiences will be able to watch the documentary on YouTube while a special screening and Q&A takes place in New York as part of the Climate Film Festival and the opening of New York Climate Week.
At the same time, the global impact campaign is designed to extend the conversation beyond the film itself through partnerships with environmental organizations, UN agencies and educational institutions.
For viewers who missed the documentary’s earlier theatrical screenings, the YouTube premiere therefore provides a much wider opportunity to see the project.
What to know
Title: How to Live on Earth
Narrator: Benedict Cumberbatch
Production: Open Planet Studios
YouTube premiere: September 20, 2026
World premiere: June 22, London
UK theatrical release: June 26
New York screening: September 20
Original end-credit song: “Chapter 4” by Imogen Heap
The documentary’s digital launch will put its central environmental message in front of a much broader audience, while its accompanying impact campaign aims to turn the film’s September premiere into the beginning of a larger conversation about how people live with the natural world.
