Marking the latest adventure in Discovery Channel’s long-running series “Man vs. Wild,” Bear Grylls invited Actor/Comedian Will Ferrell to join him for an extreme adventure in the Swedish hinterland, it was announced today. The early June episode is tied to Universal Pictures’ upcoming comedy adventure Land of the Lost, which stars Ferrell and hits movie theaters on June 5, 2009.
This special episode of “Man vs. Wild” is the most fully integrated to date in an ongoing strategic partnership between Discovery Channel and Universal Pictures to create special shows that tie into opening movies. Previously, the two companies have worked together on tie-ins with recent Universal releases. These include a integration of Universal’s Frost/Nixon with an episode of Discovery’s “Cash Cab”; a tie-in of Universal’s Fast & Furious with Discovery’s “Destroyed in Seconds”; and last summer with Universal and Marvel Studios’ The Incredible Hulk with Discovery’s “Deadliest Catch,” Universal’s Wanted with Discovery’s “Futureweapons” and Universal’s The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor with Discovery’s “Man vs. Wild.”
In this first joint extreme adventure special, Grylls takes Ferrell through the paces of real life survival in the ice-bound mountain and glacier ranges in the far north of Sweden. Armed with only the most basic survival equipment, Grylls briefs his partner on the extreme conditions they’ll have to confront over the next 48-hours…and what worst-case scenarios lie in store.
Without losing his infectious sense of humor, Ferrell proves his mettle through a series of physically challenging skills. Together, they tandem-abseil off a helicopter, rappel down hundred foot frozen waterfalls and build a shelter to stay warm overnight in sub-zero temperatures. Common to all “Man vs. Wild” episodes, Grylls shows Ferrell what it takes to find food in the icy coniferous forests, as they climb trees, improvise snow shoes from saplings, drink their own urine and even bite into reindeer eyeballs!
“Will did an amazing job in sub-zero very unforgiving conditions,” said Grylls. “He trusted me when it mattered and we survived… And he has definitely had an adventure! He should be very proud of how he performed.”
“To be able to participate in an episode of ‘Man vs. Wild’ was a thrill of a lifetime, even though I did get urine-drunk which is sad,” said Ferrell.
An ex-Special Forces soldier, Bear Grylls was trained as a survival expert in the British army, has a black belt in karate and is an experienced high-altitude mountaineer. Grylls has channeled his daring spirit into feats such as the highest-ever dinner party at a table suspended below a hot air balloon at 24,500 feet, and the first unassisted crossing of the frozen North Atlantic Ocean in an open rigid inflatable boat.
In addition, in 1998 at age 23, Bear became the youngest British climber to ever complete a summit and descent of Mount Everest. Last year, Bear returned to the Himalayas to conquer a new dream–attempting to fly a powered paraglider higher than Everest. Through this expedition, Bear and his team donated more than $2.5 million to charities, including $600,000 to the Global Angels Foundation, a charity that supports long-term projects for underprivileged children worldwide.
“Man vs. Wild” is produced for Discovery Channel by Diverse Productions and executive produced by Steve Rankin. Dan Korn serves as Executive Producer for Discovery Channel.
