The Meerkats is a feature length 2008 British nature documentary film which reveals the daily struggles of a clan of meerkats in the Kalahari Desert. It was produced by BBC Films and the The Weinstein Company, and filmed by the award-winning BBC Natural History Unit. It is the debut directorial feature of James Honeyborne, previously a producer of natural history programmes for television. The film is expected to be released internationally in 2009.
Production: The Meerkats was announced in November 2006 as BBC Films and The Weinstein Company agreed a co-financing deal for the film, with The Weinstein Company also handling international distribution. The year-long principal photography began on location in the Kalahari Desert, South Africa in the same month. It became the Natural History Unit’s first feature based on original material, and followed the successes of Earth (2007) and Deep Blue (2003) which were both adaptations of its own television series. The script was written by Alexander McCall Smith, author of many books set in Botswana. Paul Newman provides the narration, which was recorded at a studio near his home shortly before his death from cancer. The Meerkats is believed to be one of the last film credits of his long career.
Cast
* Paul Newman – Teller (voice)
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